Since I fell in love with you
by Dinz
Summary: This is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction. The story will be in disconnected chapters. But it will be connected to form a story as it grows. It's a story of love, friendship and family, as well as hurt, angst, pain and comfort. There will be differences of characters and their relationships from "Arrow". and Arrow will make his appearance later in the plot.
1. Chapter 1

**Since the day I fell in love with you**

 **Chapter 01**

Felicity felt like she was breaking into little pieces. Her heart hurt. Her eyes were swollen from all the crying she did since last night.

But she had to get up. Get herself together and face the mess which was her life. She can't hide away from it. She can't turn a blind eye to the awaiting pain. She isn't a coward who wouldn't face the hurdles life threw at her. She wouldn't let anyone destroy her life anymore.

She wouldn't let anyone decide her life for her. Not even Oliver. No, definitely not him.

She will leave this life. She will move on forward from this. She was tired of hurting. Tired of feeling like a toy anyone could throw here and there for their own pleasure. She was tired of hiding her broken heart and putting up a fake smile. She had had enough of everyone thinking her as a lesser person, a dispensable pawn. No, she will not be that person anymore.

She was a caring person in nature. She always cared for others. Always thought about others' feelings. Always put others' needs ahead of her own.

And look, where it had brought her. Her compassion has been the main reason for her down fall. All her life she tried hard to be the perfect daughter, perfect friend, perfect sister, perfect girlfriend, perfect employ. And she was all that. She was Miss perfect. Everyone's choice when they needed something. Always.

After being there for anyone who needed her, now she is here. In her room in the huge Queen Mansion, alone, crying, packing her luggage, to be headed nowhere. To be gone from his life. To be disappeared from their lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02**

 _01 year ago…_

Felicity was coming home. She exited from Starling Airport with a huge luggage. She was returning from Boston, where she finished her double degree in Computer Science at MIT. She had excelled there with flying colors, coming as the top of her batch. She was only 19 years old, yet she was facing a very bright future full of expectations. And doing a good work by running towards them in full speed. She was a genius. She knew that. Since the age of six, she has known that.

She found John Diggle at the exit, who was waiting for her with a warm smile.

"Hi, Digs. Are you here waiting for someone?" she teased him.

"Hello to you too Felicity, yeah I was waiting for someone special, who was coming from Boston." Diggle returned her teasing with taking her into a bear hug, as he was very big in body structure.

"Ooh, you are a bear Diggle. I don't remember you being this big last time. And I didn't mean to make it sound as a sexual innuendo, obviously I don't want to make that impression that I think about you in any sexual way. No I don't. I mean, there is nothing wrong about thinking about you like that for any other person. But, not me. I'm like your little sister. You are definitely my brother from another mother. My big brother. And now I'm mentioning the word 'big' again in another sentence. Why couldn't I make any normal conversation like others without putting my foot in my mouth? Ooooohh, I hate my mouth filter, because now it doesn't make any appearance at all."

Diggle was laughing uncontrollably when she came to the end of that rambling. And she was red like a beet root in face.

"Your ramblings have become very rare in past months, in which we talked by phone, Felicity. I was half afraid that you have forgotten of how to babble. Now I see that there was nothing to be afraid of. Your ramblings are still making their epic appearances." Diggle told her after he recovered from his laughing fit.

"Yeah, and I still haven't forgotten how to put myself into very embarrassing situations using only my mouth. And again I want to make the note that, that sentence felt nothing wrong in my head, just before I put it out." Felicity shut her mouth before she made the situation even more hilarious.

"And we love you more for them." Diggle answered with a smile, pretending not to be amused by her nonstop word vomiting.

"That, you definitely do. Because I'm your favorite person in the existence. Am I not? After Lyla, of course. But, if I'm ahead of Lyla, you can tell me, I won't tell her." Felicity went back to her teasing.

"Now that would be like giving you something to blackmail me afterwards. Isn't it? I still remember your devilish acts Felicity. And I refused to be the bait again. Especially if those have anything to do with Lyla." Diggle countered with a fake annoyance.

"You wound me Diggle. It hurts me to think that you still carry those little grudges. Oh, my heart hurts." Felicity replied placing her hands on her heart, with a pained look in face.

"Quit the act, Smoak. We have to leave now, if you want to meet the family before the end of the dinner. And save all your sweet talks for Merlins. They don't know yet that you are coming today. I kept your secret well. But, if you want to surprise them you have to get there before they retire for bed." Diggle took her bags from her and started towards the car park, with the excited blond in his tail.

"Ok then, Let's go Dig. And thank you for coming to pick me up and for keeping my arrival a secret. By the way, do you think I need sweet talk anyone? Huh? I'm adorable. Everyone says so." Felicity pouted.

"Yeah, you are smoak. You are the epitome of adorableness. Along with your brilliant brain and your quick wit, you don't need anything else. Your bright presence is enough for everyone to love you. I still don't understand how you have got all the Merlins wrapped around your little finger. Moira adores you. Thea can't do anything without involving you. And Tommy says that his day is incomplete without your rambles. Even Malcom complains that your absence is felt if you forgot to call once a day. How do you do that?" Diggle got into the car and started the engine. Felicity got into the passenger seat.

"They are all generous to me Diggle. They gave me a place to live. They gave me a home, a family to return to. It's them, not me. They opened their arms for me. All I ever did was returning the favor in small ways I could." Felicity drifted to her own world in her mind, making herself comfortable in the seat.

The ride to the mansion was silent. Both were absorbed in their own worlds.

Felicity remembered the day she first met one of the Merlins. Moira Merlin, who was Malcom's second wife, was the president of Glade's charity hospital, which was made of memory of Rebecca Merlin, Malcom's first wife. Felicity's mom Donna started working at the hospital as a training nurse soon after they shifted from Las Vegas. Felicity was eight years of age. Her father had left them and it was too much for both of them to be in that city anymore.

At the interview they met Moira. Donna had to take Felicity to the interview because she couldn't find a baby sitter that soon in the new city. Her mom went to the interview room making her wait in the lobby of the office.

She was exploring the rooms' book shelf, when a beautiful woman in a business suit entered the lobby with a little girl about five years of age. The woman looked intimidating. But when she saw Felicity, she stopped and asked her who she is. And Felicity introduced herself and went a bit too much about how she was intimidated with this silent city, not that the city is that much silent but comparing with Las Vegas, where she was from, Starling was silent like a church. Not that she went to church much, she was Jewish. And Donna was not much a religious person for all that matter.

That memory still brought smile to Felicity's face. She was a babbling mess even then. Always going on and on before realizing that everyone else is either awe struck or disgusted by her ramblings.

Moira was listening to her patiently and the little girl was looking at her like she was the most interesting thing in the world. Then Moira introduced herself and Felicity suddenly understood that she was talking to her mother's possible employer and she was terrified that she had ruined everything by babbling. Apparently she had voiced her concern without even knowing that she was doing it. Thinking aloud. Another one of her embarrassing habit.

Then Moira did the unimaginable thing. She assured Felicity that she had done nothing wrong and offered to leave her daughter Thea with Felicity in the lobby, if she would be kind to keep an eye on Thea while the interview is going on. Felicity accepted the offer with a confirming nod. She didn't trust her mouth to open again and do more damage. And Moira left both girls in the lobby, at the supervision of the receptionist.

Two girls become friends in the first ten minutes. Felicity got to know that Thea was five in age and had two half-brothers. Each in her each parent's side. Tommy and Oliver. They were eight years older than Thea. Both were friends. Tommy was a Merlyn and lived with them in their home. Oliver was a Queen and lived in Russia with his father, Robert Queen. Oliver came to live with them in some holidays. But, sometimes he refused to come to Starling. That was when he was angry for something with their mother, Moira. But, he eventually got out of that anger act and would come around for a week or two at least.

Felicity got to know all this in their first hour of chatting. Thea was a talker. Not a babbler like Felicity, but Thea was definitely not afraid of talking. That was clear. Felicity told Thea about herself. About her life in Vegas. And how she threw an angry fit about leaving their home to go to a new place. But her mother wanted to leave all the past behind her and Felicity understood that she needed her help to come out of the sorrow of her father leaving them. Felicity stopped talking suddenly. She didn't want to talk about her father. And even at the age of five, Thea understood. They started looking at the magazines in the book shelf instead.

When Donna came out of the interview room two girls had become thick friends. And Felicity refused to leave Thea behind with the receptionist. Moira had asked her to be with Thea. She couldn't leave her alone even though she knew that technically Thea won't be alone in the lobby. So they waited until all the applicants were interviewed. Moira was surprised to find Felicity and Donna sitting with Thea in the lobby after two hours. She thanked them and offered to give them a ride to their home. Of course Donna refused that saying that they have to go to the stores for shopping for Felicity's new school books and all the other necessary things.

Donna got the job. And Felicity went to the hospital after school if it was Donna's shift time. Thea visited the hospital with Moira often and they literally spend their afternoons playing together. After 03 years, Thea had become Felicity's best friend and she got the opportunity to meet Tommy too. He was also kind to her.

Then the tragic happened. Donna was struck by a drunken driver on her way to the hospital. Felicity was ordered to the principal's office and then accompanied to the hospital with Moira's driver. She was told that her mom's situation was critical at the hospital. And after struggling in ICU for two days, Donna left the world. Eleven years old Felicity couldn't understand that why everyone whom she loved would leave her. She cried alone at her mom's death bed until Moira came to the room and took her into her arms. The woman had connected to Felicity over the years. She contacted with the Child care people and arranged Felicity to be with them until all the legal things were taken care of. And after a month Merlin family asked Felicity that would she like it if they become her foster family. She said yes and next thing she knew was that they had become her family.

Since that day she never felt alone again. She got to know that Moira is a strict mother when it came to parenting. Malcom Merlin was distant, and absent at many family gatherings. But he was never unkind or inattentive to felicity. He was even present at her graduation along with all the Merlin family.

Tommy was the brother she never had. He showed same protectiveness towards Felicity, which he reserved for Thea. Of course he was a jerk sometimes. But Felicity was always forgiven toward Tommy, as Thea would always complain.

And Thea,

Thea was always Thea. Felicity's best friend. Her little sister.

"I think now you could come out of your dream world Smoak. We have arrived home." Felicity's walk down in the memory lane was disturbed by Diggle's deep voice.

She got out of the car and stood in front of the Queen mansion, which was now possessed by Moira after her divorce from Robert. Now it was Merlins' Residence as Moira didn't want to leave the protection of the mansion even after her second marriage to Malcom Merlin.

This was Felicity's home for eight years. They were her family. She has come home.

"Home, sweet home, at last." Felicity muttered to herself happily.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03**

 _Present day…_

Oliver turned the car to the familiar road which ended at Queen Mansion, which was The Merlin's residence now. He was driving through the deserted roads of Starling city for past two hours. It was early in the morning. Therefore there were less than a few vehicles on the road. Oliver was shattered with the information he received two hours ago from his local bratva agent, who was shadowing Detective Lance for the past few months. His revelation put all his work and future plans into chaos.

They were having problems with their secret businesses even before Oliver moved to Starling city. In fact that was one of the major reasons that the Bratva let him move here. Someone here was giving tips to the police on their movements inside the city. Someone was involving with their business every now and then. But these involvements were becoming serious. They were making Bratva hurt, financially as well as egoistically. Bartva was a very secretive mafia group. They were a family, a family Oliver was born in to. He inherited Bratva legacy from his father.

And someone was hurting his family. He came to Starling city to establish their business here again. He was searching for the traitor very intensely for past few months. He swore to himself that he will not stop until he find out the person who made Bratva fall onto their knees. He found out that the brain behind all these attacks was contacting Detective Lance. That was the way the police get involved with each and every incident. And no one except for cops was seen at the raids.

Oliver installed spies everywhere he had the access to. Even then they were faced with disappointment. The Oracle, as they were used to call the enemy, was a genius. Every thread they caught was a dead end. Detective Lance never met anyone suspicious. He went to work. He came back home. He attended family gatherings usually and came to Queen Mansion every now and then. He was a family friend, so it was nothing to be suspicious of, and Oliver was always present there when Detective Lance visited.

Queen mansion was in his eye sight now. The home, Oliver never had. The people lived there, was his family, yet sometimes they felt far away than strangers. Everyone there had their own secrets. So Oliver didn't feel bad about keeping his secrets. No one knew about him being Bratva. No one except Moira, may be. He felt that his mom suspected about his intentions of moving to Starling city. But, even if she did, she never let her doubts of him being in involved his dad's mafia business to come out.

The last person he expected to have a secret in that house was, Felicity. Being the innocent and open soul she was, he would never have dreamed of her keeping a single secret. Yet, after all the things he heard today, he was not much surprised. Actually, when he started to think it thoroughly, he could feel all the pieces falling into right places.

After a few attempts to find out the enemy inside Bratva, Oliver had understood that there was not such person. All the people they had may not be loyal, but they all certainly knew the fate that would fall upon a traitor in Bratva. There were no traitors this time. It was not inside work. Someone very intelligent was intentionally disturbing their sanity by making them doubting their own people. Oliver suspected that there may be a team. The enemy was not from Triad, the Chinese mafia, neither from Italians, because it crossed path of them too, not efficiently as it poked Bratva although.

It turned out that it was neither an enemy team work, nor a work of an insider. It was a girl of twenty years of age. He would have laughed at that possibility if he didn't know about Felicity's talents. But she fitted to the role to a 'T'.

She was a genius. A tech genius. He had heard tales about her hacking skills, from Thea and Tommy. Yet he never even dreamt that she would be the hacker who could brought Bratva into its' knees single handedly. With the help of Detective Lance, of course. Come to think of that he could clearly see the path the information went to police right through. Detective Lance always talked with Felicity at their home, when he visited. And he was definitely very protective over her. Oliver thought that it was because she was like a daughter to the cop. But, maybe there were some other reasons also, such as that he didn't want to lose the most important soldier of his fight against mafia in Starling city, The Oracle.

But why Felicity attacked Bratva? He couldn't understand it. Did she know about him being Bratva? Maybe she did. Come to think of that Oliver was certain that at some point she would have known that. So, were his actions the reason for her to go against them? No, it can't be that. The attacks were happening even before he moved here. They had those problems for three years if his memory is clear.

Holy Crap! How old would she be when she started this game? Hacking into servers of Mafia groups and federal security systems and working with cops to bring the crimes down in the city, does not look like things that a sixteen years old girl would do in her free time. And she was not in the city most of that time. She was studying for her double degrees at MIT. How did she pull that all?

His brain was fiddled with all these thoughts for past two hours. He was totally confused. And he was worried that how he missed all these things. She was always there. With him. But, attacking him while being right under his nose.

He entered through the gate and was heading to the garage when he saw Felicity coming out from the main door of the mansion. She was wearing a black jersey with a denim trouser which fitted her like a second skin. She was carrying her cute pink color hand bag. Where was she going at this early in the morning? Oliver wondered. He parked the car and exited the garage quickly. If she is going out somewhere he has to know where, because now she isn't safe as she would hope that she will be. Bratva still didn't know anything about her, because he took care of that. He knew that his agent won't go against his orders to keep the information between them. But, it won't take much time for someone to have a hunch. And her life would be in the worst possible scenario. He didn't want her to get hurt. He didn't want to be the person to hurt her again. Not anymore.

Felicity was going towards the SUV when he stepped in front of her.

"Good morning Smoak. I didn't know that you wear pants this well. Actually I haven't seen you in pants ever." He tried and knew at once that he screwed up if the frown which was clearly present in her face was a clue.

"Good Morning to you too Oliver" she replied him, ignoring his mention at her clothes.

"Are you going somewhere? Are you taking a holiday? Oh, if you are smoak, make sure that you come back soon. We have that IT project to be taken care of." Oliver had to make sure that she is in the safety of Queen Mansion as soon as possible.

"I'm not planning…" Felicity was interrupted by Diggle. "Felicity, are you sure that all these bags are to be taken with you? You have six bags including your hand bag. That's without all the boxes that I have to send you after you got settled. How are you going to manage all these without anyone there to help you? I'm telling you again this. I could come with you and be with you until you get all these sorted out." Diggle asked her, ignoring the confused Oliver.

Wait, what? Is she moving? No. no. no. this is not happening right now. Oliver cringed inside.

"Diggs, I'll be alright. I can find help. Please don't worry. You know that I don't want you worrying over me. I'm fine. I'll be fine." Felicity replied with a hint of a break down at the end.

"What? You are moving. Where? Why? What happened? Does mom know? Does Thea know?" Oliver was having troubles with processing the scene in front of him.

"Yes, Oliver. Everyone knows. I'm not running to nowhere. I have sent all the details of the IT project to Jerry. He will help you with that. Walter will find you someone to replace me in the IT section. I wish you all the best Oliver! You got your wish come true. I'm getting out of your hair.' Felicity smiled sadly.

Oliver felt as he was punched in the face. That infamous wish he made in front of the whole family at the Christmas, mainly to jab her, had turned out on himself.

"But, Felicity.. I didn't mean.. I.. how?.. Don't.. I.." Oliver couldn't form a proper sentence in his haste. So, instead he stumbled with words.

Felicity sighed. Diggle had started the SUV. They stared at each other. Both trying to see past their disastrous history together. Felicity was staring at his blue eyes. Oliver was not sure of what she would be seeing in his eyes. But, he saw several feelings flickering in her eyes. Disappointment, sadness, anger, hurt, compassion and pity for him. He saw all that in her beautiful ocean blue eyes.

"Felicity.." Oliver didn't know what to tell her. How to make her stay.

Felicity took two steps forward, right into his personal space. He could see tears forming in her eyes. She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Good Bye, Oliver. Take care. I will never return to your life again. And The Oracle will never come to the Starling city again." She murmured against his ears and turn on her heels. Then she got in to the SUV and left Oliver dumbfounded on her departing words. Just like that.

The SUV took off, leaving Oliver rooted to the spot. He watched the vehicle passing the gate, taking the turn and going out of sight.

Once the vehicle was gone, he turned towards the house with a feeling of his heart drowning in some unknown pain.

That's when he saw Thea standing at the Main door. Watching him. He didn't want to get involved in another argument with her. After last night fiasco, he thought he had enough of her anger for a lifetime. And he was not feeling good in the gut about this situation at the moment. But, he has to get passed her to go inside. So, he thought it better and looked down at his heels and moved passed her doing his best to ignore her.

"You are a coward Ollie." He stopped at Thea's words. He was listening, but definitely not replying her.

"I just hope that, when you understand the consequences of your doings, you would be able to forgive yourself. Because I sure can't forgive you for hurting her like that. You destroyed her completely Ollie. You chased my best friend away from me." Thea's voice was laced with anger and hurt. Still he didn't look up. He couldn't look in to his sister's eyes and see all the pain she was feeling. He was raw inside himself. Oliver had lost something today. Something he couldn't describe right now. Because he didn't have a clue himself. But, his heart felt that he would never forget today. He felt that with all things that happened today, something changed. Something moved inside him.

Something left him. Something left him and went away with her. Felicity took part of him with her. And he was not sure that he would feel whole ever again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04**

 _One year ago…_

Once again he is sitting through a boring family dinner at Queen Mansion. Oliver still wouldn't call it 'home' in his head. It was always 'Merlin's home' for him. Yes, it was his family Mansion. It was his legacy. He was the Queen heir after all. But, he had left the Mansion, his childhood home at the age of seven, when his parents got divorced.

Since then, he only visited here at school holidays. But the visits were reduced with the time. He didn't want to come here. He wanted to be with his father, in Russia. He loved his sister and Half-brother/ best friend Tommy. But that love was not enough to remove his dislike of his mother and Malcom Merlin.

He was having dinner with all four of them, tonight. It was a rare situation, for all the Merlins to be together for a meal. And they were in a celebrating mood. Oh, Tommy and Thea are always in happy worlds. Why wouldn't they? They had everything they ever wanted at their feet. Of course Oliver also had everything he ever wished to have, everything but, a family. He grew up alone, without his mother. His father was a good man, but he never thought that his son needed much from him, except for money which he gave him abundantly. Oliver was taken care by Raisa, their Russian house maid. So sometimes he envied Thea and Tommy. He knew they were not responsible for his parents' decisions, yet he felt like that he was wronged by all of them.

"Shall we start the dinner? I'm starving" Thea asked enthusiastically.

"Of course darling. We shall." Moira replied. They all started eating.

"So, Tommy, How was your Club project doing? Why don't you involve Oilver too in it?" suddenly Malcom asked. "Malcom, honey, we don't talk business in dinner table." Moira stated.

"Not business Moira, I just wanted to know how my son is doing these days. That's all." Malcom replied with a smile.

"Actually dad, club project is doing great. Laurel is helping me with the legal side. I hope that we would be able to start it soon." Tommy said.

"Ohh. You are always hanging out with Laurel nowadays, Tommy. What's going on between you two?" Thea asked Tommy.

"Thea… how many times should I tell you that there is nothing going on between us? We are just friends." Tommy replied with an annoying look.

"Huh, like I would expect you to tell me truth. I don't know what is with my two brothers. They are besotted with Lance sisters. Once, Oliver was dating Laurel on and off for several years. Then he broke up with her and started hanging out with Sara. And then you started going around Laurel. When are you both going to notice that they are not the only girls in Starling city to start a relationship with?" Thea rolled her eyes.

"Thea.. That's none of your business. So, shut up." Tommy was getting aggressive.

"And keep me out of your quarrels. Who I'm dating is my private business, and I would appreciate it if you stay out of it." Oliver spoke for the first time.

"Yeah, I would, if you stay out of my business Ollie. Both of you went "Grrrrr.." over Roy the last time he visited. But, apparently my brothers can interfere with my love life even though I don't have a say about whom they bring home with them." Thea scolded.

"You are only sixteen Thea. That boy does not suit you." Tommy snapped at her.

"And who are you to decide that Tommy? It's my life, I don't have to ask you permission every time I go out" Thea yelled at him.

"Enough. Stop it you both. What is this? Can't we have one dinner without clawing each other's throats? Thea, I suggest that you apologize Tommy, you were the one started this inappropriate discussion. And Tommy, stay out of your sisters private matters. She is a big girl. She can take care of herself." Moira told them with a disapproving face.

"And I thought of having a nice dinner with my family. I would prefer to have dinner with a bunch of piranas than this." Malcom chuckled.

Once again the dinner party fell into silence. Thea was angry. She silently picked her food. Tommy was giving heavy attention to his plate. Moira and Malcom started a talk about their next charity gala. Oliver had lost his appetite long ago.

"Surprise….!"

The silence was broken by a sudden scream. They all turned towards the entrance of the dining room. And a small petite blond girl, who can be no more than twenty, was standing at the door, with a wide smile on her face.

It was Thea, who came out of the shock first. "Oh My God..! Felicity. You are back." Thea squeaked and got out of the chair. She rushed towards the blond girl and threw herself into her hands. "Yeah, it's nice to see you too Thea." Felicity, the Blond girl replied returning the hug. Then they parted and looked at each other for a moment and started giggling and again hugged tightly.

"I missed you Lizzy." Thea said. "Oh, Thea, you know that I hate that pet name. Why are you hell bent on using it?" Felicity whined.

"Because we like to annoy you, Smoak." Tommy had left the dining table and was standing at two girls grinning. "Welcome back to your favorite place in the world" Tommy held his arms open and Felicity went into them with a warm smile.

They hugged for a minute and parted as Thea coughed at them.

"It's always good to see you, Tommy. I missed your terrible jokes." Felicity ignored Thea and patted his bicep.

"Ah, I knew that, in spite of how much you complain about my jokes, your day would be boring without them." Tommy replied with a smirk.

"I had the impression that you are coming back in next week Felicity. But, it's always nice to have you back. Welcome home dear." Moira had joined the three of them.

"I wanted to surprise you all, Moira. I made contacts with Diggle and arranged everything and I asked him to keep it a secret." Felicity hugged Moira and Moira kissed her temple in return.

"I think it's ok to forget table manners in special occasions then, huh, occasions like our favorite Smoak's arrival" Malcom also got out of his chair and went towards his family.

"I'm the 'only Smoak' you know, Malcom." Felicity hugged him with a smile.

"All the more reason for you to be our favorite dear" Malcom returned the hug.

Oliver didn't understand any of happenings. He had heard about Felicity Smoak from his half sibilings and he has met her once when he visited Merlins four years ago. He knew she was like a family member to them, yet this much of enthusiasm on her arrival seemed to be too much. Even he didn't get this much attention and warm hugs when he came here. He was confused and awed of the events before his eyes. Even Moira, his strict mother forget her table manners when she saw Felicity.

"Oh, Oliver, what are you doing sitting there? Come here man. Meet our beloved 'spitfire'. Tommy called Oliver.

Oliver slowly got up from the chair and joined the group who were gathered around Felicity.

"Felicity, let me introduce you, my dear half-brother/ best friend, 'The Oliver Queen' himself. Oliver, this is famous Felicity Smoak, who does not like to be called by the nick name of 'Lizzy'." Tommy introduced them to each other.

"We have met once, Tommy. But, of course it is a pleasure to meet you again Oliver." Felicity offered her hand to Oliver, with a bright smile.

"You too, Ms. Smoak. But, unfortunately, I don't remember you from before. May be it's because of the fact that I only take important people into notice. You may call me Mr. Queen. I don't like being called by nick names by strangers." Oliver didn't exactly didn't understand why he felt the urge to be rude to her. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from being a jerk.

Felicity's big smile faded with his reply. And her brow creased with a little frown. Yet, they shook hands. Felicity tilted her head a bit and stared apprehensively at him for a few seconds.

"I thought you were exaggerating to me about him being a pain in the ass, Thea. But, now I can see that you were right. It's like that they don't teach people about being nice to others in Russia. Or it may be the fact that he lived in cold for so many years that he doesn't know how to be warm to others. And it's a pity that he had to endure us mere mortals in his way back home. Anyways, I think you may have to change your attitude a bit here, Mr. Queen. You may be an heir to a billionaire, but I can assure you, no one here will have time for your dramas." Felicity said looking directly into Oliver's eyes. The room suddenly fell into silence as if no one knew how to respond to what happened just now. Oliver was taken aback by her words. No one either in Russia or here has stood up to him like that.

"Wow, Felicity. Did you just call our Ollie a 'drama queen'? I'm proud of you girl." It was Tommy's words that broke the silence of the room. He was chuckling.

"Yeah, Me too Lizzy." Thea chimed in.

"OK, people why don't we return to the dinner? Felicity, dear, will you join us?" Moira turned to Felicity.

"Of course Moira. I'm starving. Just give me ten minutes, please. I'll go to my room and freshen up and join you." Felicity returned to her bubbly self again and replied.

"Sure dear." Moira returned to the dinner table. Others followed her too.

"Huh, what was that Ollie? Why were you behaving like a jerk? You didn't have to offend her like that." Thea asked Oliver while they were waiting for Felicity.

"That's all you got from that, Thea? She was rude to me too. Didn't you see that?" Oliver was clearly irritated.

"Yes, she was. But, in her defense, you were the one who started it. So you kind of deserved her backlash Ollie." This time it was Tommy answered him.

"Why are you all besotted with her? I mean. Who is she? She's just an orphan who got lucky to have you guys to take care of her. She is nobody. I can't understand you treating her like a celebrity." Oliver spat at them.

"Yes, Oliver. She is certainly special to us. She is family. We may not be a perfect family in any sense. But she is a part of this family, just like you are. She is like a daughter to me and Moira. She is Tommy's sister just as Thea. And she is Thea's best friend. So I suggest you to learn to respect that." Malcom Merlin is not a man of many words. But when he started on something, he always made sure that he made the point clear.

"And I would like note the fact that our weird family have some other members also, such as our body guard John Diggle and his wife Lyla. And yes Thea, even though I don't exactly like it, I consider Roy as a part of this family too." Thea beamed at Tommy's words.

Oliver felt very uncomfortable sitting there. He wanted to excuse himself and go to his room. But, just then Felicity returned.

"Hey, I'm back. Thank you for waiting for me. Shall we start?" she sat beside Thea, facing Oliver.

Everyone started eating.

Oliver thought that he should apologize to Felicity, for his behavior before. Admitting his mistakes was not his strong suit. But, he didn't want to make his stay here difficult unnecessarily. "Um…, Felicity, I'm… sorry for the way I behaved before. I shouldn't have tell those things to you." He stammered uneasily.

Felicity was surprised. It was clear by her reaction. She stared at him with wide eyes. she blinked twice and then came to her senses.

"Oh, It's ok Oli.., Mr. Queen. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to offend you either. But, I couldn't stop myself from saying those awful things to you at the time." She managed to utter gracefully.

The Merlins were observing the exchange of apologies. Oliver could tell that Moira, Thea and Tommy were satisfied. Malcom didn't show any emotion in his face. So he decided to leave it at that. The dinner table again fell into silence.

"So, Felicity. When are you going to start working at Queen Consolidated?" Moira asked Felicity, after a few minutes.

"I thought that we are not allowed to talk business at the dinner table, dear." Malcom smirked at Moira.

"This is not business Malcom. I'm just asking her a question about her future plans." Moira replied nicely. Both Thea and Tommy tried to hide their smiles.

"Actually, I'm planning to start working next week Moira. But, first I have to get familiarize with the people there." Felicity replied while taking a bite of her chicken piece.

"I still can't believe that you managed to convince her to work for you Moira. You knew I was going to offer her a position at Merlin Global, yet you pulled that out successfully, right under my nose." Malcom said.

"Of course, Malcom. I know my strengths. I would never let an asset like Felicity to fell into my competitor's hand, if I had anything to do with it. And in my defense, you guilt tripped her last time about helping our IT team for previous project and convinced her to work for you as an intern for six months." Moira was smiling as she countered Malcom.

"You know what, last thing I want you to do is this. If you keep attacking each other like this, I would be happy to consider Wayne Group's offer and shift to Gotham city, just to bring you peace." Felicity was upset.

"Don't get upset Lizzy. They like this bantering very much. It's what keeps them going on. They always find a reason to poke each other." Thea said patting Felicity's back.

"Good to know that our children don't take us serious much now. Isn't it Malcom?" Moira asked her beloved husband.

"Yes dear, poor us." Malcom replied with a chuckle.

Oliver was again awed by their interactions. They were very easy going with each other. This was not he was used to in his last time when he was a part of a family. He was seven then, but he remembered how his parents fought. Not like this. This was more like flirting. Back then, Moira and Robert were practically at each other's throat. There was shouting. There was crying. There was throwing and smashing things. And they fought for each and every thing. Even at the court they fought. For the company shares, for the queen mansion, for properties around the world. Only thing they didn't fight for was him. Moira gave up her custody rights very easily, to Robert. That's why Oliver hated his mother. Because she gave up on him.

His stream of thoughts was broken by Felicity's question.

"So, Thea, did you managed to book us tickets for the musical show next week? I told you that I'm coming for that."

"Actually Felicity, I did buy two tickets for us. But, Tommy was insisting in coming with us and he won't go anywhere without Ollie and Laural. So I had to buy tickets for them too. Then Sara wanted to tag along and Roy was upset that I didn't include him in my plans. Diggle is also coming. So basically now it is a family event. I know we made plans to hang out with each other, but I couldn't exactly say no to any of them." Thea mumbled.

Felicity giggled. "It's ok, Thea. I knew that it would happen. Tommy doesn't know how to hide his big brother vibes at all. Don't you, Tommy?"

"There's no way I would let you two go alone to a bash night, Smoak. I still have that scar where I broke my hand while trying to bring you two back from that drunken party." Tommy replied seriously.

"And Tommy's hand is not the only thing that was broken in this house due to your two's devilish acts." Moira chimed in.

"Ooogh. We were not that bad, Moira." Felicity was donning an innocent face.

"Two china glass vases, one set of glass plates, two coffee machines, one marble statue, one glass lamp , one rocking chair, three window glasses.. If I didn't know your clumsiness and Thea's speed, I would think that you two are plotting against our glassware and furniture, Felicity." Malcom teased them.

"Those vases were ugly, Malcom. You said so. Everyone except Moira despised them. I don't think that you are upset about them breaking. You only tolerated them because they were gifted to Moira by her grandmother." Felicity said.

"Those were hundred years old Malcom. How did you despise them?" Moira looked horrified.

"Exactly our point, mom. They were old. And glass. They were meant to be broken." Thea said.

"And what about other things you broke Thea?" Tommy's question earned him a glare from Thea.

"Those glass plates were on a very unsafe place. And the statue and lamp was broken when Felicity fell down from the stairs. I don't regret that my priority was to saving her rather than those two." Thea said.

"You were also present when we broke those windows, Tommy. I don't think you would like to remind that incident again." Felicity smirked at Tommy.

"No, I don't" Tommy replied.

"And everyone knows enough to not to come between Felicity and her coffee in the mornings. Those coffee machines were fated to be destroyed when they failed to fulfill their purpose, which was, delivering coffee to Felicity." Thea was giggling.

"What happened to the rocking chair?" Oliver couldn't keep his curiosity to himself.

"Ah, you should have been there Ollie. When we rushed to the kitchen to find out the reason for the crash we heard, we were presented with a Felicity who was on the floor upside down, in a mess of kitchenware and with a face covered with jam. Not to mention the broken chair."

"In my defense, I was trying to reach a jam bottle which was kept in a very high shelf and the rocking chair was the only furniture available at site. I didn't think that it would rock and I would fall with the shelf which I was grasping and break it in the process." Felicity looked slightly embarrassed.

"You are sometimes so stupid to be a genius, Smoak. Only thing that rocking chairs do is rocking." Tommy was laughing.

"And that jam bottle was kept in a higher shelf for a reason, Felicity. I didn't want you and Thea to be diabetic patients in very young age." Moira was laughing too.

"Yeah, I still remember your faces when we caught you at midnight mixing two different jam bottles in order to make a new variety." Malcom joined the laugh.

Oliver was amused by all the things that were exchanged by these four. He couldn't stop the chuckle escaped from his mouth, after hearing about all their "devilish acts' as his mother named them.

"And you made our broody Oliver chuckle Felicity. I think this tops all the remarkable things you did in this house." Tommy said while putting an arm around Oliver's shoulders.

"Hold your thought there, Tommy. I'll be here all the time now. You may never know what future holds. So, don't jinx it. I may become boring to you when I start working around the clock." Felicity smiled.

"You are so many things Smoak. But, boring isn't one of those things. I'm sure that we all will enjoy your stay here." Tommy was looking at her with adoration.

"Amen to that." Thea joined.

Oliver was not anymore uncomfortable there. His uneasiness has left through their conversation. Though he didn't exactly join them in their chatting, he felt like living in a family for the first time in his life. A very happy family, for that matter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 05**

 _Present day…_

Felicity was heading to Central City. Diggle dropped her at the Starling airport. She didn't tell him where she was going, but she promised him that she would contact him once she was settled. He was not happy with it. But he knew that she needed time to get together her life and be herself again, so he accepted her decision.

She had bought an apartment in Central city two years ago. She had enough money to live her life very comfortably even if she didn't work for another five years. Detective Lance made sure that she was paid handsomely for the services she offered to the Starling city Police and other government agencies. She didn't want anything from any of them, but detective convinced her to keep the money in case if she ever needed monetary assurance. She was happy now, that she listened to him then.

When she called the detective Lance last night to inform him that she is quitting the role of "Oracle", he was not surprised. He said that he knew this would happen one day, but he was upset that she was leaving everything because of Oliver. He also offered to threaten Oliver to accept her. But, Felicity assured him that it was not necessary as now she had no interest in becoming a part of his life. She promised detective that she would keep in touch and that she would come back once she is ok again. Felicity didn't know if she would be able to do the latter, but she had every intention to move on from this pain.

She was looking out of the taxi, watching the busy people of Central city moving hurriedly. Her mind wondered into the times when she was one of them in Starling city. She started working at Queen Consolidate, one week after moving back there after her graduation. She was appointed at the IT department. She wanted to move out of Queen Mansion, but whole Merlin family was against it. So she stayed at mansion at the condition of leaving there after one year. She smiled at the irony. Now, after one year, she had indeed left the mansion, in to a new city, new life.

Surprisingly she didn't regret it. Yes, there was a pang of hurt about leaving her family. But, she knew that even Thea couldn't take her side in this situation. Merlins can't control Queen's decisions. It was Oliver and his father's choice to arrange that marriage. She still couldn't believe that Oliver said 'yes' to a marriage between himself and Isabel Rochev, yet she was there. She heard all the things they discussed. She saw how Thea and Tommy tried their best to make Oliver see sense. But all their attempts were in vain. Oliver and Robert Queen valued power above everything. She could understand that because unlike Thea and Tommy, she knew their involvement with Bratva. The 'Rochevs' was a power house in Russian bratva, so it was clear that Queens wanted to make them their ally.

Felicity was just an orphan in Robert Queen's eyes. She was in no use to him in any way. And she was not sure whether she was anything to Oliver, ever. Once she thought that he loved her, but she came out of that illusion very quickly. He never loved her. He was amused by her for some time and that was that. Just like a little child with a new toy, his interest in her was lost at the first sight of a new distraction. She knew now, that she never had a chance at becoming anything to him. She was just another one night stand for him. He was definitely not the person she imagined him to be. She understood that, two days after they slept together. A day after he told her that what they shared was only for one night. That he didn't have any feelings for her. She was devastated. She cried all night. She cursed herself for falling for him.

After a heavy battle with her own heart, she decided to give her resignation letter to Oliver. He was her boss after all. She had been appointed as his Executive Assistant by Moira six months ago. She was against it first, but after Moira's explanations of the sudden decision, she had accepted the position. She and Oliver had a bumpy ride first, but they found middle ground very quickly. Most of it due to the fact that she was the only person who could stand up to him and call his shit together. She quickly became his right hand, always being beside him and backing his decisions. Their combination was lethal. He was brave and did not back step at challenges. He took risks and made ruthless choices. She was intelligent and cautious. She made him think and grounded him.

She went to his office room in the mansion in the morning to submit her resignation letter. That was where he spent his mornings before leaving for the office. She knew after what happened between them, she couldn't work with him as before. So she would resign and think about accepting the offer she got from Merlin Global. She was going to knock when she heard Oliver's loud voice. He was yelling at someone. Someone called Slade. The name felt familiar, but she couldn't place it anywhere in her memory. She saw that the door was open slightly and peeked inside. Oliver was standing at the window, his back was towards her. He was in a call. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but when she heard what he said to the caller, her feet felt like they were rooted to the spot.

"I don't care what you do Slade, I want that 'Oracle' dead. Whoever it is, they have hurt us enough. I'm not going to tolerate any more disturbances in my business. We have to let them know that bratva is very much in war with them. This was the fourth attack on our shipment this month, I'm not going to sit back and attend galas and charity events when my position is at risk. This 'Oracle' is behind these attacks, we know that. They have played with us enough. Now it's our turn to make them suffer. I want our best soldiers at this. Find the 'Oracle' and kill him and anyone who is involved in this. They have attacked me. Oliver Queen, the captain of Bratva. They will see consequences of their doings." Oliver cut the call and stared out of the window cursing under breath in Russian.

Felicity was staring at him, gaping. She couldn't process what she heard. Instinctively she took a step back. Then three steps more. She turned at once and started running to her room.

Once she was in her room, she was panting. She sat on her bed and tried to clear her head. Her brain was working at miles per seconds. She was sweating heavily. She got up and went to the bathroom. She opened the shower and stood under it until she felt her heart beat come to normal speed. Her clothes were soaked when she remembered that she was still clothed and she didn't care.

After what felt like hours, she came out and changed into comfortable clothes. Then she sat on her bed and took her tablet into hands. Her fingers worked non-stopped until she was sure that she had got all the details and everything fell into place in her head.

So Oliver was the new captain of bratva in Starling city, whose present was a shadow until now. He was the enemy she was unknowingly working against and he had ordered her murder few minutes ago. It was certain that he didn't know anything about her being 'the Oracle'. But, it didn't change the fact that he wanted her dead.

That day she got to know his other personality. He was not what he showed the world. He was a mob leader. He was not the irresponsible playboy who got arrested for fighting at clubs. He was the mafia member who was responsible for the Starling city's high crime rates. He was not the man she fell in love with. He was the man who ordered her death unknowingly.

She was appalled. She was angry at herself for not seeing his true self before. She was angry that he made her feel like a fool. She was angry that she still loved him.

She never told anyone what she got to know that morning. Not even to Detective Lance or Diggle and Roy, who secretly helped her in her missions time to time. She didn't know why, but she kept Oliver's secret. She was careful than before and she stopped involving Diggle and Roy as much as possible, yet she didn't stop helping the city. She stayed away from Oliver, but kept an eye on his work. And despite of every rational argument of her mind, her heart never stopped loving him.

She was hurt. And was hurting continuously. He showed no emotion towards her. He spent his nights at clubs and parties. Every now and then he would be in newspapers and magazines with leggy models in his arms. Sometimes she saw him at dinner, but they behaved as strangers. Merlins were aware of their situation and once or twice Thea tried to break the ice between them. But, Felicity asked Thea to stay out of it after a very heated argument between Oliver and Thea. Hurtful words were thrown at each other and Felicity felt like punched at gut when Oliver told Thea that he didn't care a bit for an orphan gold digger who tried to become a 'Queen' by sleeping with him.

Felicity couldn't stop the tears which were spilling through her eyes at that memory. That was one of the worst memories she had at the Queen mansion. After that night, she avoided Oliver like a plague. Even when the Merlin global started a combined IT project with QC and she had to work with Oliver again. She tried to concentrate on her work. She was strictly professional with Oliver. There was a tension always present between them and sometimes Oliver tried to break it by trying to flirt with her. But, she never let him be success at them. She even tried to date again. Of course that was a useless attempt because she was still unable to fell out of love with Oliver.

And she continued like that for another three months. Until yesterday. Last night was the final punch. When she heard that Oliver was marrying Isabel, she knew that she couldn't bear it any more. She had to leave. She could watch him from afar, not loving her, not caring for her. She can tolerate that. But, she couldn't watch him being with another woman, loving another woman, caring for another woman. No she couldn't watch that. Never. She was not that strong.

She always wondered what Oliver would do if he was to know that she was 'the Oracle', the enemy he ordered for death. Would he regret his decisions? Would he care that she may have died because of him? Would he care at all? Maybe that's why she told him that she was the Oracle, when she left him standing at in front of the mansion. Maybe it was a foolish thing to do. But, she felt relieved that now she had nothing to hide. She was out there. She was free. At last.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 06

 _Present day…_

Oliver was pacing in his room. His very much destroyed room. He had locked himself inside his room for about two hours now. First he smashed everything in his reach. Then he started pacing in front of his bed trying to calm down himself.

He was angry at Felicity. How dare she leave everything like that? How dare she leave him standing there? He was angry at Thea. How could she accuse him for Felicity's decisions? And why the hell didn't she stop Felicity from leaving? He was angry at Tommy. He said Felicity was like a sister to him. Then how come he wasn't there to stop her from going away? He was angry at his family. They said again and again that Felicity was a part of their family. Then how could they abandon her when she most needed them? That's why she left. Wasn't it? Or was it because of him? Did he hurt her that much, that she couldn't live there anymore?

He was angry at himself. Why was he this much upset about that? Why did he care? She was not with him for a long time now. She didn't even talk to him for months. Then why was he feeling this desperation? But, the important question was that why she left. Was it because of what happened last night?

He tried to go through all the things he went through in past 24 hours. He had argued with his father insisting that he is definitely not interested in marrying Isabel, only to agree to the marriage after his father's threats and more enforced points. Then he had to take side with his father and argue with Thea and Tommy about how much interested he is about marrying the same Isabel. Thea and Tommy were pissed with him. He knew it had nothing to do with Isabel and everything to do with Felicity. He had to tell them over and over about how lucky he is to have Isabel in his life and the worst thing was that he had to do that in front of Felicity. He saw how bad he hurt Felicity. He saw her face falling. He saw her heart breaking. Yet, he couldn't do anything about it.

He didn't like hurting her. Yes, he had hurt her before, sometimes unknowingly and sometimes intentionally. But, each time he felt bad. He felt bad about seeing her bright soul dimmed.

Oliver liked Felicity. He just didn't like her interventions in his work. She was a curious creature. She hated mysteries. And for the first few months of their interactions, he was her favorite mystery. He figured that after their first meeting at the dinner, he had not given her good impression of himself. She was always giving him calculating looks. Always making him nervous with her steady gaze. He didn't like it a bit.

Then he made a huge mistake of using QC Applied Divisions' computer to access an account in Russia, which had a distinct connection to the Bratva. Of course Felicity noticed the deal and informed Moira at once. His mother was at his back like a bullet. She was furious. He had to pretend like he didn't know anything about his father's illegal activities. He had to make Moira believe that he was innocent in this and had only good intentions towards the company. Maybe he was successful at it. But, next day he was not surprised to see that Moira had appointed Felicity as his EA.

Oliver knew that this was a huge constrain in his path. Felicity was always keeping an eye on him. She was Moira's perfect daughter. He had to be extra cautious with her. She was annoying. Yet he couldn't deny the fact that his work had become easier after her arrival. She was perfect at everything. She didn't make mistakes in anything. Little miss Perfect.

He understood that if he wanted to do what he came here to do, he had to distract her. And he found a way. Much easier way. It was not a secret to him that they had some attraction towards each other. He thought why not using it for his own benefit. He acted on that and started flirting with her. At first, she was irritated at his obvious lines. But, with time he noticed that her frown had changed into a shy smile. She started replying him without sarcasm.

Eventually they become friends. He didn't know how and when, but he had started to anticipate her bright smile greeting him when he comes to the office in mornings. He had started to enjoy her presence. Even her ramblings about computers had made him smile. Her babbles which annoyed him before, felt endearing to him. She was beautiful. He noticed. Her brain amazed him. She was perfect.

Then one day, he crossed the line. He kissed her at a charity gala. That day changed their well-balanced equation. She started looking at him differently. Oliver was happy that she had stopped suspecting him. She didn't look into his eyes with doubt. She believed him. But, guilt was seeping into his conscious. He didn't like the feeling.

Their friendship changed into a more close partnership. He couldn't resist her. Then one day it changed into a more intimate relationship. The day they slept together, was the day he understood that his plan had backfired on him. The night was amazing. It was the most memorable night in his life. At the dawn he was awake with her sleeping beside him, snuggled to him. He was confused with his feelings for her. He liked her, a lot. But, he never could be with her. She didn't know about his dual personality. If she knew, she wouldn't want to do anything with him. Heck, she would run away from him as fast as possible.

Then he got a call from his father. He went to the bathroom and answered the phone. His father was furious with him. Another attack on their shipment has happened last night. Oliver was supposed to look into it and make sure that nothing goes wrong. And he was not there. He was distracted. Two of their men had died because of his distraction.

Oliver was upset with himself. He felt like a failure. He never forgot his duties. But, recently with Felicity, his attention was elsewhere. He lost his focus. He immediately decided that he had to finish this infatuation with Felicity. He couldn't be distracted.

He left the room as soon as possible. When he met Felicity later that day, he made sure that he avoided her gaze. She smiled brightly at him when she saw him. A deep red blush adorning her beautiful face. He ignored her, but not before noticing her smile fading at his swift dismissal.

He managed to avoid any conversation with her between his meetings and busy schedule. She was also keeping distance from him. She seemed to be giving him space.

Next day morning, the unavoidable happened. She came to his room with a determined face and closed the door.

"Oliver, I know what happened between us was unexpected, but I didn't think that it would make things this much difficult. I mean, I don't regret it. I know this would seem as inappropriate between a boss and his EA. But we both know that it is not like that. I mean, we are friends. We are more than friends, actually. Maybe it is time that we make things clear between us." Felicity stopped talking and looked directly into his eyes.

"Felicity,.." Oliver was trying to get the right words on his lips.

"Oliver, I really like you. Ok. Let me get this straight. I love you. Yeah, I love you. It feels good to admit it at last. Huh.." Felicity was going hundred words per a second. And her face was blushing in deep red.

"Felicity, I don't love you." Oilver blurted out. Felicity blinked twice. Her face paled. "I like you Felicity, but I don't have that type of feelings towards you." Oliver continued.

"But, you.." Felicity was confused.

"I'm not that kind of guy, Felicity. I don't do relationships. I sleep with women. They are one night stands. For god's sake, I don't sleep with the same woman twice." Oliver could see tears filling her eyes. She was trying hard to compose herself.

"You know me, Felicity. I never told you that I wanted to start a relationship with you. You are my friend. But, we can't be anything other than that. I'm an heir to a billion dollar company. I can't start a relationship with someone like you." Oliver saw the sudden change in her eyes. There was spark of anger at his words.

"What do you mean by someone like me, Oliver?" Felicity's voice was cracked.

"You are a girl who is not at least twenty years in age. An orphan who is living at my step-family's gracious help. A mere employ at my company. My secretary, who brings me coffee every morning."

"Executive Assistant" Felicity disrupted him.

"What?"

"I'm you Executive Assistant, Oliver. Not secretary." Felicity hissed.

"And your point is?" Oliver raised his eyebrows.

Felicity took a shaky breath. Then she looked into his eyes. His face was emotionless.

"It was good to know who I'm to you, Oliver. I was in the illusion that you felt something for me. Forgive me for my incompetence in keeping up with you. It was good that we got this clear." Felicity told him.

"Felicity, I don't want to jeopardize our friendship. We were in a good place. Weren't we? So why ruin it by making this complicated? We can still be friends, without all this drama." Oliver was trying to find correct words to calm down Felicity.

"No, Oliver. We can't. I don't think we can go back there now. It's over. It's all my fault. I was the one who got ahead of things. I'm sorry, Oliver. I think I should go now. I want to be alone for a bit. Will it be okay, if I take an off day, today? I have already sent your meeting schedule to your tablet." Felicity asked him.

"Of course, Felicity. take a leave. It's okay." Oliver was relieved that she was not angry at him.

His heart did not appreciate his decision. But, it had to be done. He dismissed the hollow feeling inside his chest and returned to his files.

After that day, everything changed in his life, again. Felicity quitted from the job after two days. She went to Merlins Global and started working with Tommy. Her behavior had changed. She avoided him. For unknown reasons he was annoyed at her avoidance.

Things between Bratva and Oracle were getting seriously bad. The police was attacking them ruthlessly. He needed to take an action soon.

He had given orders to kill Oracle.

Oh my god!

A shudder went through Oliver, when he realized what he had done. He had ordered to kill Felicity. He didn't want to think about what could have happened if she was caught. He clearly informed his assassins that he didn't want to even meet the Oracle. He had told them to kill the Oracle at first sight. If they were successful at doing that, how could he live with the fact that he was responsible for Felicity's death?

He felt sick. He had never killed anyone. He didn't touch that part of Bratva. And he was happy with just handling Bratva business. This was his first assignment out of Russia. He wanted this to be a success. Establishing Bratva business line again in Starling city. Killing Oracle was supposed to be his first step towards that. He didn't want his leaders to think that he was weak. He wanted to prove himself to his father. He was ready to kill to earn his father's approval. How sick is that?

At least now he knows the fact that she was the Oracle, so he can make sure that no one goes after her. She said that Oracle will never come to the city again. That was a relief, both to his business and to his heart. She was safe now. Yet, she said that she will never come to his life again too. He should be happy that she is gone away from him. But, he was not happy. This was not supposed to happen. He was not supposed to feel like this. Like a lost soul.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 07**

 _Two months later…_

"Hello Felicity! Can we come in?" Felicity was arranging dinner on the table when she heard Iris's voice at the door. She had invited her new found friend/neighbor to dinner. Iris West was 20 years old nice looking girl. She lived with her father, Joe West and a friend named Barry Allen. Felicity didn't quite understand the situation with Barry though; she knew his case was similar to hers. After his mother's death and father's arrest on the murder, Barry had been basically adopted by Joe. They were a close family, which reminded Felicity, her own one.

She had met them on her second day here. She was carrying a heavy bag from her car to the apartment, when Barry and Iris saw her and offered their help. She refused it of course, but after an exchange of words through their way to their respective apartments through stairs, they had introduced themselves to her. She returned the favor.

At her second weekend there, they invited her to dinner and then she had the opportunity to meet Joe West himself. He was a cop in Central City police. They were friendly towards her and respected her privacy and didn't pry. That was the only thing now she wanted from people near her.

Surprisingly they had made a nice friendship over the two months and today she invited them for dinner at her place.

"Yeah, come inside please. I'll be there in a second." Felicity shouted from the kitchen.

She entered the living room to see Iris and Barry arranging the wine glasses at the dining table along with the wine bottle they had brought. Joe was sitting on her couch and flipping channels of her TV.

"Hi, I'm sorry. I was doing the last touch ups with the meals." Felicity said apologetically

"Oh, don't worry Felicity. We know it's not easy to arrange dinner for a party of four alone. That's why I asked to help you. But you insisted that you can manage it." Iris told her.

"Felicity, have you heard of Queen Family in Starling city?" Joe asked from Felicity suddenly, without taking his eyes out of the screen.

Felicity felt her face paling. She couldn't understand the way the conversation was headed.

"Why did you ask that?" she replied with another question. May be Joe noticed that she avoided answering him, but he didn't show it.

"There is news about them in TV. It seems like that they are going through a dark time. There has been an accident. I just thought that since you are from Starling city, you may have heard of them. They are a very powerful family there." Joe replied.

"What accident? When? How?" All Felicity could figure out that there was something wrong in the tone of Joe. She tried to calm her panicked heart. She shouldn't care for Queens. They were the enemy. She shouldn't feel this tense in her heart at the mention of something bad happening to him. She shouldn't be affected by him.

She had moved in front of the TV unknowingly. She stared at the screen, where the reporter was talking with the Queen Mansion in the background.

"…reported that their yatch 'Queen's Gambit' has had an accident and gone missing along with the Queen heir 'Oliver Queen' himself."

Felicity felt like her heart stopped. Oliver... missing… It seemed like a nightmare.

Then they put his photo on the screen.

"Wow. He is hot. It's a shame if he is dead." Iris muttered. Felicity was shocked even to get annoyed at her choice of words. She stared at the screen, where the reporter was giving a brief description on Oliver.

"Oliver Queen, Starling city's famous playboy has been in the front page of newspapers since he was a toddler. The famous Queen's divorce case was huge news those days. Hitting a wild teenage, Oliver along with his best friend/Step brother Tommy Merlin always managed to appear in news for their irresponsible behavior and wild adventures at clubs, even with his limited visits to Starling city. After moving to Starling city for good, Oliver managed to stay in the spot light as the most eligible bachelor in the city. Even if there was never a short of women in line for Oliver, the list of his serious relationships is very short. He had an on - off relationship with Laural Lance for a few years and after breaking up with her he moved to her sister Sara Lance for a brief but intense relationship."

"What a jerk!" Barry was disgusted with Oliver's history.

Felicity's mind was running a mile per hour. 'Her family. Moira will be trying her best to not to lose self-control. Malcom will be handling the press. John will be taking care of the security. Tommy will be shattered. Thea will be devastated. She had to be there for them.'

"After becoming the vice president of Queen Consolidated, his family legacy, he was rumored to have a relationship with his secretary Felicity Smoak, who was practically Merlin's foster child. Even though it was not cleared how the relationship came to an end, after Ms. Smoak's resignation and joining in Merlin Global, Oliver was again seen with different women at each and every gala of the city."

Felicity could feel the other's gazes on her at the mention of her name. Of course the press would bring up her name at this moment. They were hunting for each and every possible gossip about Queens at the moment. She didn't dare to remove her eyes from the TV.

"Seven weeks ago, to everyone's shock, Queen family announced Oliver's engagement to Ms. Isabel Rochev, who was from a very powerful business family in Russia, where Oliver had spent most of his life. But after a short courting period of six weeks Oliver broke up the engagement at a very public party at Queen Consolidated. It was said that, that night he had a raw with his father Robert Queen and he left the apartment he shared with his father at the moment."

What? Oliver broke up the engagement? Felicity heard about the engagement after her move from Diggle. He mentioned it briefly when she inquired about her family form him on phone. But she hadn't known anything about the break up.

"Next day Oliver Queen had left the country on Queen's Gambit on a voyage to China. And it was discovered that he had accompanied Ms. Sara Lance, with whom he had a wild past."

"Sara…" Felicity couldn't process what she heard. Oliver has run away with Sara. Laurel's sister.

"There hasn't been any news on survivors of the Queen's Gambit yet. The yatch has sunken down to the bottom of the ocean with 56 people along with it including Queen Heir and his runaway fling." Joe turned off the TV.

"Felicity, are you ok?" Barry asked. Felicity didn't know how she ended up sitting on the couch. May be it was when she heard about Oliver's runaway, and she felt her legs giving up. Barry was holding her shoulders in a protective stance. Iris was on her knees in front of her holding her hands. Joe offered her a glass of water.

"Here, drink this dear. You are near a panic attack. Breathe slowly. Hold your knees. It's going to be ok." Joe was telling her.

Felicity tried to calm herself. She had to hold on. She had to call John. She reached for her phone and dialed it with shaking hands. John answered to the third ring.

"Hello.."

"John.."

"Felicity"

"John… News..?"

"It's true Felicity." Felicity stayed silent. She felt a lone tear escaping her eye,

"Felicity, are you there?"

"Yes, John" she couldn't hide her shaken voice.

"We are doing everything we can to find them Felicity."

"So, is it true? He has run away with Sara?"

"Yes, Felicity. I know how you feel right now. That's why I didn't call you right away."

"No John. I'm ok. I will be ok. I have made peace with his choices long ago. I'm just surprised." She knew she couldn't hide her pain. But she would be damned if she didn't stay strong when everyone needed her.

"So.. Are you.."

"I'm coming back there, John." Felicity answered to his half formed question. It was not a choice. She had to be there for her family.

"Thea has locked up in her room since she heard about the accident. Tommy is running between home and Laurel's. I think she is very angry at him at the moment. Moira is talking with Chinese authorities on searching parties. Malcom is trying to compromise with investors of QC. They are not at all happy with the runaway of the vice president." Diggle went on.

"Yeah, I could imagine that happening. Oliver messed up it hugely this time. Didn't he? I'll be there in the morning John. I'm leaving here as soon as possible."

"Be careful Felicity. Take the night train. It would be safe. We will discuss everything when we meet. I'll send Roy to the station to pick you up."

"Ok, John. Bye. See you soon."

She cut the call and turned to her neighbors.

"I'm going there by the night train. Can you drop me to the station please?"

"Of course. Felicity, is there anything else we can do?" Joe replied understandingly.

"No, thanks. Unless you could water my roses on the corridor?"

"I will take care of them Felicity." Barry answered.

"You go to your family, girl. We will keep your house safe until your return. Don't worry." Iris joined.

So, Felicity Smoak again packed her a bag with necessary things for a week. She was going home. Again.


	8. Chapter 8

**I am sorry for the delay of the new chapter. And I am very thankful for all the reviews, favorites and follows. They make my day. Thank you for all the support from all the readers. This is still the beginning of our journey. I hope you all will be there till the end of this story.**

 **Chapter 08**

Felicity was tensed. She was in the night train to Starling city. The train was moving fast, but not enough for her preference. She wanted to be re-united with her family as quickly as possible.

They needed her. She knew it.

She remembered her time with them. She knew how much each of them loved Oliver, even though he seemed to be unknown to their affection. His disappearance will be a heavy shock to them.

Moira was a ruthless woman to the world. She was one of the scariest CEOs in US business lines. Moira was known for her heartless decisions and unaffected personality. But that was what she was for outsiders. Felicity knew her than that. The Moira Felicity knew was the woman who took an orphan girl into her open arms at the night her mom died. She was the woman who stayed awake at her bedside at the nights, to make sure that she had slept comfortably and who comforted her when she awoke screaming by her daily nightmares. The Moira she knew made sure that Felicity had her favorite cereals for her breakfast after a bad day at school. That Moira gifted Felicity the best computer that came to the market for each and every birthday she had with them.

But, the best gift she gave to Felicity was the assurance that she had her back. That trust helped Felicity to become what she is today. Moira gave her the confidence to be independent. Felicity was always grateful for that.

Moira loved Oliver a lot. Felicity had seen that longing in her eyes when she was talking about him. Moira was a tough mother, yes. But, that was required from her. Oliver, Tommy and Thea never made her life of being a mother easy. They were always testing her. Her patience, her trust, her love.

Felicity didn't know what happened among Moira, Robert and Malcom two decades ago, but she knew what happened was never easy for Moira. Felicity saw how Moira cried through four nights when Oliver refused to come to her in one vacation. Oliver hated Moira, and what made it so hurtful was the fact that Moira knew it. Yet, she never tried to give an explanation to Oliver on her decision to give Oliver's custody to Robert Queen. She never tried to make Oliver stay with her. She just let him slip through her fingers.

Maybe that's what made Felicity feel bad for Oliver. Felicity couldn't understand why Moira didn't fight for her son. So, Felicity fought for her. She wanted to make Oliver feel that he belonged here, with his family. When Felicity got close to Oliver, she saw how he was deprived from the love of a family. She felt for him deeply. Maybe it was a little guilt that she had that love instead of him. Felicity saw loneliness in Oliver's eyes. She saw the vulnerability in his offensive attitude towards his own family. She saw the walls he had built around his heart. So she tried to break them. She wanted to remove that haunted look from his eyes. She wanted to sooth his love starved soul.

Maybe she was misguided. Maybe she read him wrong from the start. Maybe she misjudged him. Maybe she was misled. Maybe she was deceived by him.

But that didn't change the fact that Felicity loved Oliver with all she had. Maybe that's why even after everything that happened between them, even after all the mess they made around them, she still loved him. She fell hard and fast for him that even after his rudest rejection she couldn't fall out of love with him. Just like his mother who loved her son so much that even though being at the end of his hatred, she craved for his presence.

And now…. Oliver is missing. Moira has lost her son again.

Malcom was not a man of many words. He didn't show his feelings to the world. He always wore a neutral face. Yet, he loved his children, in his own way. He let them take their own decisions. He let them chose their own paths. He was kind to Felicity. He never questioned her abilities. Once he saved her from FBI when she hacked their servers, out of curiosity. Felicity was not proud of that moment when he gave her the speech on keeping her special abilities inside the legal frame, yet she knew he was trying to keep his tone neutral hiding the amusement and pride.

Malcom didn't like the way Oliver behave around the family. Yet he tried to keep his calm in most situations when Oliver tried to create drama. Felicity saw the fondness and pride for Oliver in his eyes whenever Oliver made a success in company, even though it was against Merlins' Global sometimes. Maybe he hoped that one day Oliver will forgive him, for taking away his mother from him. Maybe he hoped that one day Oliver will become his second son.

And now… Oliver is missing. Malcom has lost his second son before even having him.

Tommy wasn't always the irresponsible playboy media saw. He was the brother Felicity never had but, was lucky to get. He was the caring brother who got very angry when Felicity and Thea got wasted by consuming alcohol at a party. Yet he was the brother who sneaked them into the home and helped them to get over the hangover next morning. He was the first person who punched a guy for Felicity. He was the person who made terrible jokes to make Felicity smile when she was sad. Tommy was her partner in crime when she played pranks on Thea, in their childhood. He was her secret keeper when she hacked government servers in her teenage. Tommy was the one who helped her to connect with Detective Lance to help the city. Tommy didn't involve in her work as Oracle. But, he was the only one in the family who knew that she was the Oracle.

Tommy didn't care for the fact that Oliver was his step-brother. Oliver was always his best friend. Even though Oliver only came to them twice a year, they manage to make his visits memorable to whole starling city. Felicity spent her vacations at MIT most of the time. Instead she took holidays in middle of the semester. That's why she was not a part of their adventures and she was a stranger to Oliver. But she heard enough of their stories from Tommy. He always talked about Oliver highly. Therefore, even before she met Oliver, she had imagined him to be a amazing person. So it was a huge let down when she met him at the dinner in the evening of her return from MIT. He turned out to be a jerk, not at all like the person Tommy always praised but more like the obnoxious person the tabloids described him to be.

Yet she gave him another chance when she started working with him at QC. And she realized that Tommy was correct. Felicity began to see the person Tommy saw in Oliver. When Tommy got to know about her feelings for Oliver, he was happy for her nevertheless he warned her of Oliver's reputation on breaking hearts. He was a full time supporter of Olicity, as Thea put it often.

When Oliver left her broken hearted, Tommy was very angry. He even punched Oliver in face at one family dinner. Felicity knew that she was a sour point in Tommy and Oliver's friendship. After Oliver announced his intention of marrying Isabel, they had the worst verbal battle in their history. When she decided to leave, Oliver and Tommy were in a phase of no talking. Of course given time Tommy would have come out of that phase and even forgive Oliver.

And now, Oliver is missing… Tommy had lost the chance to tell his best friend that he forgives him.

Thea was exactly the person world knew her to be. She was a very open minded girl. She was a tornado of excitement. She was a lively girl with a soft heart. Yet, she was very stubborn, much like both her step brothers. She was very affectionate towards both of them. She loved Tommy. But, Felicity thinks she loves Oliver more. Maybe because Oliver was not always in reach. Thea adored Oliver. She hated the way both of her brothers were infatuated with Lance sisters. And she never made the fact a secret. She somewhat learned to tolerate Laurel after a while. She never liked Sara though.

Thea was the one who encouraged Felicity to tell her feelings to Oliver. She was the ultimate Olicity shipper, as she herself appointed. She always kept an eye on Oliver at Felicity's presence and she was sure that Oliver had feelings for Felicity too.

When it was clear to everyone that Oliver certainly did not harbor that kind of feelings towards Felicity, Thea was pissed beyond her limits. She was the one soul who saw Felicity's all fears at relationships and all her issues of insecurity. She was the one person who knew all the pain and hurt Felicity went through. She was the only person who saw through Felicity's smile and realized that she was broken beyond repair. Thea was the only person who didn't ask Felicity to stay when she told them that she was leaving. Because, Thea was Felicity's best friend since the first day they met.

Thea fought with Oliver for various reasons over their childhood. But, they always managed to solve those over movie nights. Oliver was the one always came with the white flags and peace offerings. Last two months were the longest time period they stayed crossed.

And now… Oliver is missing. Thea is still waiting for her brother's peace offerings.

All the family needed someone to tell them that everything will be alright. Felicity knew she had to be that person. Even though she had no one to console herself over her loss.

Felicity's loss is different from others. She lost Oliver the day he told her that he didn't love her. She burned his memories the day he told her that she was just another one night stand to him. She buried her love the day she heard that he decided to marry another woman. Now there are only bits and pieces of her feelings remaining. Only the deep hollowness in her heart remains. The faded memories of their time together are compiled and packed in the deepest corners of her heart. Now she is used to the loneliness of her life. She is used to the constant pain. So it was nothing new to her. She knew that she could bear it. She knew she could hold it together and be there for others. Just like always she had done.

Because for all the others, now.. Oliver is missing… but, she missed him for a long time now that she is used to the feeling. For Felicity Oliver was missing for a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 09**

Roy was there to pick Felicity from the train station. She was happy to see the familiar face. She knew Roy for four years now. He worked for Diggle in his private security company. And Roy and Thea had feelings for each other. Being Thea's best friend, Felicity was no stranger for their relationship.

"Good to see you back, blondie" Roy came to her and took her bags into his hands.

"Any news, Roy?" Felicity wanted to know if there anything new has come up.

"Nope. Searching is still going on. Moira is still hopeful though. But, Chinese search parties are losing the interest in the search." Roy replied.

"No, they can't do that. It's only a day to the accident. There may be survivors there." Felicity protested.

"Actually it is two days now, Felicity. We kind of tried to keep the news under the radar for a day." Roy opened the door of the car and helped Felicity to climb.

Felicity didn't know how to respond to the news. She tried to process the fact that Oliver is missing for two days in the sea. And it was clear to her that there is very low possibility of his survival now.

They arrived home in half an hour. The gates to the mansion were closed and there were hundreds of reporters gathered near the gate. Roy called the security and the gates opened to enable the entrance of the car. Reporters tried to peek inside the car but Felicity was thankful to Diggle in her heart as he had chosen to send a tinted glasses one for her.

When she saw the entrance of the Mansion, she felt like de-ja-vu. She remembered the last time she saw the entrance of this huge building. It was through the side glass of Diggle's SUV and when she looked through it she saw Oliver staring after her vehicle. Felicity quickly came out of her mind. She can't exactly go there now.

"Where is everyone? It's pretty silent." She commented.

"Moira is at Chinese embassy. Malcom is at QC. Tommy never came back from Laurel's since the news was out. Thea is at her room. She is refusing to come down or let anyone into her room. I was hoping that you would be able to get her out of shock." Roy sounded desperate.

"I'll try, Roy."

"Look Felicity. I know that this is not easy for you either. And it's selfish of me to ask you to put your pain aside and be there for Thea. But, right now, there isn't anyone else I can trust to be with her. I'm sorry for being insensitive." Roy was looking down. His shoulders slumped.

"I know Roy. It's ok. Let's go to Thea's room" Felicity didn't want to lead the topic to her pain. It is better that she keep her mind from dwelling through that route. There will be plenty of time to lick her wounds later, alone.

They took stairs and came to Thea's room. Roy knocked the closed door.

"Go away. Roy. I don't want to see anyone now. Leave me alone!" Thea's loud voice came through the door. Roy looked at Felicity desperately.

Felicity took a deep breath.

"Thea, it's me. Felicity. Open the door, please."

There was a silence of one minute. Then they heard a shuffling sound of bed. Roy released a heavy breath. Then they heard the sound of soft steps coming towards the door.

The door was opened by a very un-Thea-like Thea. Her brown hair was a mess. Her eyes had heavy dark bags around them. She was pale. And the eyes were red and sore looking. She was wearing a tattered pajama suit.

Felicity didn't know what to expect. But, this was certainly not it. She stared at her best friend.

"Fe-li-ci-ty.." Thea's trembling voice broke her stare.

"Oh, Thea." Felicity's voice broke. Thea launched into Felicity's arms. Felicity held on to her tightly, soothing the crying girl with her embrace. Roy gave her a pleading look and went away. She guided Thea into the room.

"He's gone. Felicity. Ollie's gone." Thea kept mumbling in Felicity's embrace. Felicity didn't talk. She just held the girl who lost her brother.

After about two hours, Thea was calmed down. She was lying on the bed, her head on Felicity's lap, Felicity's hand going through her brown hair strands slowly.

"Felicity, I lost him. I lost my brother. I am the one who drove him away." Thea whispered.

"No, Thea. It wasn't your fault. He didn't leave because of you. You are not at fault." Felicity tried to sooth her.

"No. Lizzie. He came that night to me, asking for your whereabouts and I told him to go to hell. It was my fault. He was so upset. He wanted to talk to you. But I didn't listen to him. I yelled at him. I told him to go to one of his bimbos. And next thing I know, he had left with Sara. And now he is missing. It was me who killed my brother." Thea was shaking a little.

Felicity's heart clenched. Why did Oliver want to meet her? But, this was not the time to think about that. Thea was breaking down with guilt.

"Thea, it was Oliver who decided to get on the yatch. It was he decided to take Sara with him. It's not your fault darling. You should not guilt trip yourself over that. It's his life. His choice."

Felicity tried to reason with Thea.

"But, it was my choice not to let him meet you again. I denied him giving your address. As his sister, I should have seen that he was in a fragile state. But, all I did was yelling at him and telling him that I hated him. I failed my brother." Thea's eyes were leaking again.

Felicity felt her own eyes tearing.

"Don't Thea. Don't go there. You won't be doing any favors for Oliver by guilt tripping yourself. Your family needs you now. You are Thea Merlin. You don't have the freedom to lose yourself over the pain dear. You have to be strong. Everyone is worried about you. Roy is out of his mind."

"No one cares for me Lizzie. Mom is still fighting with Chinese embassy people over search. I know it's very hard for her. I don't blame her. But, at least Tommy could be here. He still hasn't come from Laurel's. Has he? It's like I have lost both of them at once."

Felicity didn't know how to respond to that. In fact she was not ok with Tommy's choice of stay right now. Of course, Laurel needs a support now. But as she lost her sister, Thea, his sister has also lost a brother. It was his responsibility to make sure that Thea is ok. Despite his pain of losing his best friend, he should be here. That's what she did. But Felicity couldn't accuse Tommy. It was not her nature.

"We don't know the situation there, Thea. Laurel was pretty close with her sister. So she must be going through hell. Tommy is the only friend she has here. And you have me and Roy." Felicity told her.

"Yeah, must be that." Thea's voice was fading. Felicity peaked and saw that Thea was already sleeping. She carefully moved her head to the pillow and tucked her in the blanket. Then she cleaned the room a bit and went to her room.

…

Felicity couldn't sleep. She was tired as hell. But, her mind refused to surrender to sleep. It was filled with Thea's words.

'Why did Oliver want to meet me?' the question was making havoc in her mind.

She tried her best to calm her mind but desperately failed. Finally she got up from the bed and decided to leave the room. She came out of the room and got down from the stairs. She went to the kitchen and stopped at once when she saw Moira sitting on a stool at the kitchen island. Moira was staring at a wine glass on the table. She seemed to be lost in thoughts.

Felicity thought about retreating back for a second, but decided against it. She entered the kitchen and went to the island and sat on the stool next to Moira.

Moira broke the staring and let out a heavy sigh. "Diggle told me you arrived."

"How is the search going?" Felicity asked in a soft voice.

Moira let out another sigh. "Nothing new. They can't find anything. It's like they have disappeared from the face of earth."

Felicity didn't know what to tell to Moira to sooth. So she kept silence. After about fifteen minutes Moira spoke up.

"You know Felicity, after so many years I feel like I'm completely lost. I have fought with so many demons in my life. But for the first time I feel like I've completely defeated." Moira's voice was painfully sad.

"Don't lose your courage Moira. We can find Oliver. Don't lose hope." Felicity replied.

"He's gone, Felicity. For nearly two decades I tried to keep him safe from so many hazards. I tried my best to protect him from the dangers. For God's sake, I let him out of my arms and I stayed away from him and let him hate me to keep him safe. I lived half of my life in the fear for his life and finally all it took was a damn cruise to China to lose him." Moira's voice broke at the end and she took a sip of her wine glass.

Felicity knew it was best to let Moira to speak her mind, so she poured herself a wine glass and kept listening.

After a few minutes Moira looked at Felicity.

"You are a good girl Felicity. A fine young woman. You are at the prime age of yours. You see all the positive-ness of the world. You are so innocent. I was also like you once, not much innocent though. But I was also ready to conquer the world. I had a legacy. 'The Deardens'. I was independent. And then I fell in love. With Robert Queen. He was very handsome, charming, and a bit ruthless. I liked him for all his qualities including the ruthlessness. His best friend was Malcom Merlin. They were business partners. My parents saw no problem in our relationship, so with their blessings we got married. I was so happy. I had all my dreams at my feet. We were happy. After two years Oliver was born and it was the best time of my life." Moira took another sip of wine.

"For another five years everything was fine. I was working in the Queen consolidated as a Vice president. Oliver was a very charismatic child and Robert and I were happy as a couple. We were very close with Malcom and Rebecca Merlin. Tommy was Oliver's best friend. Then happened Rebecca's death. She was shot by unknown gunman on her way to the Glade's hospital which was run by me and her. Everything was in chaos. Malcom was a mess. He abandoned Tommy. And I took Tommy into my care."

"Just like you took me into your care" Felicity interrupted.

"Yeah" Moira sighed.

"Then one day I got a phone call. Someone told me to close the hospital. I knew there were some investors who were interested in the location, but I didn't know that they had threatened Rebecca to close the hospital as well. They threatened me and told me that I would face the same consequences if I didn't listen to them. Of course I was scared. I told Robert about it and he told me to close the hospital. But then we had renamed it on Rebecca's name. I didn't want to close it so I refused. Day by day the threats increased and Robert was pressuring me to close it too. So I went to Lance. He was a junior detective then. He promised to look through the phone calls. And he found that they were from Russian mob, Bratva."

"Ohhh…" Felicity gasped. Moira glanced at her carefully.

"Lance told me that you know about Bratva, Felicity. I don't know whether you have made the connection yet, but after a few days I got to know that my own husband, Robert is involved with them." Moira watched Felicity's reaction closely.

"Yeah. I know about that Moira." Felicity managed to utter.

"I thought so. You were always a bright girl" Moira returned her stare to the wine glass.

"I was shocked. My husband was involved with mob. I always thought his frequent Russian trips were due to our business back there, but I got to know that it was because he had a Russian mistress there who kept his mob work going. I fought with him at home. I defied his decisions at the office. I was worried about him using the company to fund his dirty work. And once when we were at a very heated quarrel he confessed that he wanted the land of the Glade's hospital so much that he had conspired Rebecca's death."

"Oh my god!" Felicity was shocked.

"Yeah. I was angry beyond words. I felt betrayed. My friend was dead because of my husband. Tommy lost his mother because of my husband's greed. He ordered the death of his best friend's wife. And he threatened to kill me too. I wanted to get away from him. I filed for the divorce. I tried to go to courts accusing him for Rebecca's murder. But I didn't have any proofs. Then Malcom got to know about it. He was furious. He tried to strangle Robert. But, Robert's guards saved him. I didn't know what to do. I had to think about Oliver and Tommy. And Robert didn't agree to the divorce. I was desperate. I had to get away from him. Then he came up with a condition. He said he would give me the divorce and would leave all of us alone if I give him Oliver."

"You gave him Oliver? You gave that criminal your son? What were you thinking Moira?" Felicity couldn't stop the words. She was shocked. How could a mother give up her son to a murderer?

"It was not easy Felicity. I didn't have any choice. He would have killed us all. It was nothing to him. I didn't like it. But nevertheless he loved Oliver. He was Oliver's father. He was a good father to Oliver. So I took the hardest decision of my life. I gave up my custody with one condition. He should never involve Oliver in his mob world. I could look at my son from afar as long as he was safe. He agreed and promised me to protect Oliver. So I lost my son."

"He definitely didn't keep up to his words Moira. You know that." Felicity was angry at Moira. She knew it was not her place to judge Moira, but she was disappointed at Moira's decision.

"Yeah, I know that now. I probably knew it then too, but I kept saying myself that as long as Oliver was safe, I don't care about anything else. I married Malcom after a year. Robert let Oliver visit here two times a year. I was content with that. You know the rest." Finally Moira was silent. Felicity felt pity for Oliver. Because of the life his father chose and the poor decisions made by his mother, Oliver had a lonely and unhappy childhood. He was still a lost child. Now he was lost to the world too.

They spent two hours more at the table silently. It was way past midnight. Finally Felicity fell asleep on the table.

She woke up to a sudden movement in her surrounding. Roy was at the kitchen.

"Oh, sorry Felicity. I was trying to not to wake you up." Roy took a plate of food from the microwave.

"It's ok. What time is it?" Felicity's neck hurt from the discomforting sleep she had.

"It's 6 in the morning. Everyone is awake though." Roy looked like he wanted to tell something more but was struggling with indecision.

"What is it, Roy? Why everyone is awake?" Felicity asked sleepily.

"Oh, It's bad news again. Robert Queen had been murdered last night." Roy replied.

Felicity was not sure whether it is a bad news anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Felicity didn't feel the coldness of the weather. She didn't feel the warm bundle of tears she was holding, namely Thea. She didn't feel the trembling sobs of Thea. She was frozen inside. She was numb. It is two weeks from Oliver's disappearance. They were at the Funeral for both Oliver and Robert Queen.

Felicity listened to the preacher and the other people who talked about Oliver and Robert. She was amazed by the lies told by the strangers who pretended that they knew Robert Queen by heart. She was surprised by the praises of Oliver from the people who publicly condemned him for his playboy personality. She was astounded by the people who were suddenly there to give them their condolence when she knew for certain that they are faking it. For an example, the Rochevs' were there with a huge floral bouquet to show their sympathy.

The ceremony was long and boring. Felicity and Thea were exhausted. Tommy was standing near Malcom, who was holding Moira. Laural was next to him. Diggle and Roy were at the second raw with Thea and Felicity.

As soon as the function finished Thea excused and left for her room. Felicity was thinking whether to leave or not. She has went to the Central city in between the two weeks and brought some of her clothes back. Even though Moira had asked her to stay here again she was still reluctant.

"Hello Ms. Smoak, it is good to see you back." Felicity jumped at once by the voice.

"Oh Mr. Steel. Good to see you too. Though I prefer to meet you at another occasion than this. Ooh… it came out somewhat wrong. I mean I would prefer to not meet you at a funeral. I don't mean by that I don't like to meet you but rather another occasion than a funeral. And I'm going to shut up now like in Thre, two..and one." Felicity's face was turning redder with each sentence of her ramble.

"I have heard of your famous rambles Ms. Smoak. But this is the first time I was a witness to it.' Mr. Steel chuckled.

"Uh huh.. " Felicity didn't know how to reply.

"Felicity, can you please be with Laurel for a few minutes? I have to talk with some people from the legal firm. Laurel is somewhat upset. She is at the library." Tommy came at them suddenly and asked.

'Ok. I'll be with Laurel. Sorry Mr. Steel. I am required somewhere else. See you again." Felicity was relieved to leave the function even to be with Laurel.

She didn't like Laurel much even though she was a constant participant of Merlin's famous parties. Laurel was gorgeous and pretty in every sense of word. Felicity was not jealous with her for her beauty but she didn't like Laurel's high and mighty behavior. Felicity and Thea used to make fun of Tommy's obsession on Laurel. According to Thea though Oliver was Laurel's previous boy friend, Oliver never showed any fascination on Laurel like Tommy did, even when he was dating her. For Oliver she was a constant factor in his life. And he didn't care for her much and because of that they were always fighting. And Oliver constantly cheated on her. But Tommy's situation was different. He genuinely liked Laurel even though she was seemingly inferior to his feelings. Felicity sometimes wondered why Laurel couldn't see Tommy in the same sense.

Laurel was sitting in a chair near the window. Felicity walked towards her and Laurel raised her head and threw her an impassive glimpse.

"Hi, Laurel. Tommy said I would find you here." Felicity spoke first.

"I don't need a baby sitter, Smoak. I can handle myself. You can go." Laurel's voice was slightly intoxicated.

"Yeah, I could. But I prefer to be here, laurel." Felicity replied taking a seat beside her.

"Go and find someone else for your charity search Smoak. I don't need your pity." Laurel was obviously making this conversation difficult.

"I don't pity on you Laurel. But I have sympathy on your loss. But that doesn't give you the permission to be rude to me. I don't want your attitude. You lost your sister. And people here also lost one of their close one. So you are not the only one here going through a difficult time. So there's no need to be offensive." Felicity replied.

Laurel didn't say anything. She looked worn out. It was day two days after Sara's funeral. Felicity appreciated the fact that Laurel was here to support Tommy and the family. Detective Lance had come in the morning and gave them his condolence and left. He was also devastated with his younger daughter's death.

After a few minutes Felicity decided that her presence is not required here at the moment, so she got up and went towards the door.

"Felicity…" she stopped by Laurel's voice.

"I'm sorry. Please don't leave." Laurel's strained words cut through Felicity's heart. She returned to her previous position beside Laurel. She sat down and waited for Laurel.

"I don't know what is happening to me these days Felicity. I feel like drowning. Mom and dad are not better. I'm sorry for being rude. I know it's hard for you too." Laurel said.

"It's ok Laurel. It was not one of my best moments either." Felicity said.

They both stayed silent for a few minutes. It was Laurel who broke the silence again.

"You know what, Felicity. I was so jealous of you before. I envied your relationship with Tommy and Thea. Even though you are an only child you have them close. A lot more closer than I had Sara. I envied you for your easy going nature. You were so care free. And when you started working with Oliver I hated you more."

Laurel's words shocked Felicity.

"You. Jealous of me? Gorgeous Laurel? I don't believe it." Felicity managed to utter.

'Yeah. I did. You were all the things I wanted to be. You were independent. You don't have to live up to anyone's expectations. You didn't need to worry about others. You were free to do anything you liked and no one ever said anything to you. You had all the people around you wrapped around your little finger. Even Oliver." Laurel said.

"No, Laurel. It was never like that. Yes, I did what I like. Because that's what I'm good at. I didn't have to worry about others but I did worried, too much sometimes. I had my own expectations to live up to. And my family loved me because I gave them a reason to. I love them, Laurel. And you are so wrong; I didn't have any power over Oliver. He hated me." Felicity couldn't understand how wrong Laurel could be on this topic.

"He hated your guts, Felicity. But not you. He liked you. I know because I know him. I dated him for a long time. He always cheated on me. I knew that. But I refused to acknowledge it. When you were together…,"

"We were never together Laurel," Felicity interrupted her.

Laurel smiled. A little smile. Yet it was a one.

"Ok. When we thought you were to be together, then. When he was with you he was different. He looked at you awed when you were working with your computer."

"That's because he was an idiot, who didn't know about anything related to technology, Laurel. I had to help him with those." Felicity interrupted again.

"…and that was the only time I saw him not looking at other women. When he was with you he was constantly staring at you. May be you were not together. But he didn't cheat on you Felicity. That's more than anything I can tell about my relationship with him." Laurel made a bitter laugh.

"I…. I don't know what to tell, Laurel. It must be very hard for you, considering that Oliver ran away with your sister causing her death. It is always painful to see someone you loved with another woman. But it is extra hard when you can't hate that woman because, you love her too." Felicity tried to empathize with Laurel.

"Huh, This is not the first time it happened either. Do you know how our relationship ended, Felicity?" Laurel asked.

"No. Thea said it was something about Oliver caught on cheating you. I didn't ask for details." Felicity replied.

"Always the Miss perfect. Never pry into others' affairs." Laurel smiled. Felicity stayed silent.

"I caught Oliver cheating on me, with Sara at my own house, Felicity. That's why I broke up. He was using my sister to hurt me." Felicity gasped. She was horror stricken.

"I asked him to move into Starling city and to move in with me. He didn't like the idea much, but I wanted a safe future. I forced him. Like a rebellious child he used my sister to get away from that."

"May be he loved Sara?" Felicity questioned. Laurel dismissed that with a wave of hand.

"He dumped her after two months. He just wanted to get away from the commitment. Just like this time. When he wanted to get away from his marriage to Isabel, he again turned towards Sara and used her. Sara was always his escape route."

"But, Sara should know better than to believe Oliver now, Laurel. It's not Oliver's fault that she went with him." Felicity didn't want to defend him but he was not the only guilty one here.

"Do you know my sister, Felicity? She wants to be different. She wants to have adventures. She is a stubborn girl who wants to get out of her big sister's shadow. She takes it as a compliment that It is to her that Oliver turns when he needed something." Laurel said.

'But not this time' Felicity's heart replied. This time Oliver had looked for Felicity. He had confronted Thea, his sister who was very angry with him and asked for a way to contact Felicity. Only that Thea wouldn't give that to him. But then he had returned to Sara.

Felicity still didn't know what to think of Oliver's sudden inquiry on her whereabouts. And she didn't want to go on the route thinking that he wanted to come to her.

"Err…. Felicity, Laurel, they are going to read Robert's will. Are you coming there?" Tommy came towards them from the opened door.

"No, Tommy. I don't think so. I'll be here. You take Laurel with you." Felicity replied.

"Should I be there, Tommy?" Laurel asked. It certainly showed that she too didn't want to go there.

"I think both of you should be there. Laurel, because you are a lawyer. You may understand the legal matters better than us. And Felicity because you are certainly smarter than us so you could also understand them and Moira asked you to be there." Tommy said.

"oooh.. I hate legal discussions. They are so boring. No offense to you Laurel." Felicity said quickly.

"None taken. I know it for a fact that they are boring, Felicity. But if I'm going to be there all evening, I think it's only fair that you should be there too. After all you have a close connection to Queens than me." Laurel got up from her chair and Felicity followed her towards the study room of the Queen Mansion.

The room was full of people. There were some who Felicity didn't want to see again in her life ever. Namely the 'Rochev' Father and daughter.

Moira was sitting near to the lawyer. Malcom was beside her. Thea sat across the room and Tommy was beside her. Diggle was standing at the door. Rochevs were sitting on the couch near the lawyer. Walter. The CFO of the QC was sitting across them. and now Felicity and Laurel were there too. They both went near Tommy and sat there.

"May I ask that what those doing here?" Isabel waved her hand towards Felicity and Laurel and asked the lawyer.

"May I ask why you are here?" Tommy didn't let the lawyer answer.

"I have an ongoing business with Queen Family. We had signed an agreement on my engagement to Oliver. I have to be here because of that." Isabel answered.

"And if I'm informed correct. Both of them are Oliver's past flings. That doesn't qualify them to be here." Mr. Rochev added to his daughter's reply with his heavy accent.

"Laurel is our family's current lawyer. Not to mention the fact that she is a close family friend. And Felicity is a member of our family. This is her home. You are only a guest in her home. So if you want to be treated respectively here, you better remember that you are standing under our roof. We don't take easily when someone insults our family." Moira's voice rang inside the room.

"And if you are not satisfied with the people you have to share the room at the moment, you are free to leave." Tommy said.

"The door is that side." Thea chimed with a smirk.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. The lawyer looked around like a deer in the spot light. The Rochevs were not ready to leave obviously.

"Ok. Then. I will read the will." The lawyer started.

"Mr. Rosmand. Can you spare the all boring stuff for Laurel, please. Just tell us what is happening." Tommy asked.

"Oh, yeah. The will is quiet simple, though. After his death, all the properties of Mr. Robert Queen, including the Mansion in Russia go to, his son Mr. Oliver Queen. If anything happened to Oliver before the death of Robert, all the properties will go to Moira's fund for the Rebecca Merlin hospital in the glades." The lawyer read the papers.

"What? But, previously he said that if anything happened to both of them, the properties will go to his new company in Russia." Isabel interrupted.

"Let me guess. You are involved in this company." Felicity couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"Yeah, we have equal shares. We are partners." Isabel replied.

"I thought so." Moira commented calmly.

"Mr. Queen changed the will recently Ms. Rochev." The lawyer informed her.

"Mr. Queen had 50% shares at Queen Consolidate. And he divided the shares into two parts. 25% of shares will be going to Oliver and other 25% will be sold in the market. His only condition for the sell is they must not at any price sold to a Merlin," the lawyer continued.

"What?" Moira shouted. "What kind of a condition is that?" She was upset clearly.

"Sorry. Mrs. Merlin. But that's how Mr. Queen wanted it to be." The lawyer answered.

"Huh.. no surprise to me." Isabel didn't try to hide her glee.

"In our agreement with Robert and Oliver, it said that after Oliver's and Isabel's marriage the shares will be shared between Isabel and Oliver." Mr. Rochev started.

"But they were not married. My brother broke the engagement." Thea interrupted him.

"Yeah . But, that is the case. In our agreement we agreed that if The engagement was broken, Oliver will no longer have the right for the shares and, all the 25% shares will be gone to Isabel as a compensate." Mr. Rochev happily informed them.

"What? I don't believe this. Robert would not disinherit Oliver over a broken engagement." Moira was appalled.

"Actually. Mrs. Merlin. Those were the exact points Mr. Queen stated. If the engagement is legally broken, the shares will go to Ms. Rochev. They had a document also prepared. If Oliver legally ended the agreement, the shares automatically go to Ms. Rochev." The lawyer stated.

"So it is clear now. We can leave dear." Mr. Rochev told his daughter.

"And we will see you tomorrow, Mr. Rosmand, regarding the documents." He said to the lawyer.

"But, Mr. Rochev…" the lawyer tried to interrupt him but Mr. Rochev was already leaving.

"Mr. Steel. Make it sure that all the investors and the director board is informed about the change of events. I want to have a meeting tomorrow evening with all of them." Isabel also rose from the seat.

Felicity, and all the Merlins were ready to leave the meeting too.

"But, you don't get the shares, Ms. Rochev." Everyone stopped at the lawyer's voice.

"What did you say?" Isabel turned towards him.

"That you don't get the shares. Now I'm interested." Tommy sat down again.

"But, the agreement said that shares go to me, if Oliver broke the engagement and he did brake it. very publicly" Isabel said to no one specifically.

"But, the important word was 'Legally' not 'publicly'. It clearly says that Oliver have to brake the engagement legally. Am I correct, Mr. Rosmand?" Felicity asked the lawyer slowly.

"You are a smart girl, Ms. Smoak." The lawyer replied.

"And if I know anything about Oliver at all. I know for a fact that he never does things fully or legally in this matter. He didn't sign the engagement annulment. Did he Mr. Rosmand?" Laurel had a wicked grin in her face when she looked at the lawyer.

"You know him well, Ms. Lance. No. he didn't finish the agreement legally. So the shares don't go to Ms. Rochev."

"But, it can't be. He is dead. They should come to me when my fiancé is dead." Isabel was close to shrieking.

"No. Ms. Rochev. If the engagement is not broken, the situation again is similar to when Oliver is the sole heir to the shares and the will of Mr. Queen says that if anything happens to Oliver when he is the sole rightful heir to the shares, like this situation, the shares will go to William Hawke."

The room fell into a silence after lawyer's words.

Then Felicity decided to break the silence.

"Who is William Hawke?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Isabel and her father left the Mansion in a very bad mood. They never expected this to happen. Felicity left with Diggle to his security office. Malcom and Laurel were talking with the lawyer. Tommy was having a beer with Walter. Thea followed Moira to the entrance of the mansion to send Rochevs off.

"Don't think this is over, Moira. You will regret this day. I promise you." Mr. Rochev said as he stepped out of the house.

"I would have taken your threat more seriously if you had those shares in your hand Mr. Rochev. But, sadly you don't have them. If I were you I would have retreat to my den accepting my defeat." Moira gave him her famous attitude.

"Oh, don't think you won on this one, Moira. You don't get the shares also. But, we can always buy the shares. We have money. We have connections and most importantly we don't have the name Merlin." Isabel was gritting her teeth.

"I have 50% of shares Isabel. I can manage the company on my own. And I don't want you near it. So I think it's time that you leave me, my family and my company alone." Moira was calm and cool.

"We will see how things go for QC in future. A lot of companies have fallen for smaller reasons, Moira. So be ready to fall." Moira didn't reply to Isabel's threat.

"Is it a surprise that my brother decided to run away from you and your scheming ways, Isabel?" Thea couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Isabel turned her head towards Thea while climbing to her car.

"Yet, your brother got himself engaged to me, Thea. Unfortunately that didn't go well. Nevertheless I'm not the one who is dead." Isabel's voice was venomous.

"I never said he was the intelligent one in the family, Isabel. Yet being the idiot he was, he sure came to his senses before marrying you. He was stupid, but not that stupid. And for the fact of his death, I think any man with a brain would welcome death if being married to you was the alternative." Thea's comment was replied by a slam of the car door of Isabel and the car took off.

"Huh. That went well." Moira let a breath out.

….

They were all sitting in the study room again. It was half past eight at night and several hours after the reading of the will.

Walter and Mr. Rosmand have left after tea and Detective Lance has arrived few minutes ago.

Tommy, Malcom and Moira were having a discussion with Laurel. Thea didn't feel like talking and it seemed like that Detective shared her mind.

"So shall we go through the legal matters first?" It was Laurel who broke the silence.

"Just wait for a few minutes Laurel. Felicity called a moment ago. They are on the way. They will be here in a few minutes." Thea said.

"Yeah, I think it's better if all the family is here for this." Moira confirmed,

So they waited for another fifteen minutes and finally Felicity arrived, Diggle and Roy following her.

"So Felicity, what did you find out?" Malcom asked after Felicity and others took their seats.

Felicity shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Everyone was looking at her expectantly.

"Did you do your magic and find out who is this William Hawke?" Tommy asked.

"I don't recall any long lost relative in that name. Is he a business associate of Robert?" Moira was curious too.

"Ummm.. Yes and no. Yes means that we found him. No for he is not a business associate of Robert. William Hawke is actually family." Felicity said in a hurry.

"Family? Had Robert Queen married again and had a son? But then why the surname Hawke?" It was Malcom who asked.

"No. William isn't Robert's son. He is Oliver's son." Felicity answered. And her answer achieved the silent horror from everyone in the room except for Diggle and Roy, who knew it already.

"What? He had a son?" Tommy's voice was shocked beyond everything.

"Yeah, Robert had done a DNA test. It's true. He is Oliver's." Roy answered.

"How old is he?" Laurel asked calmly.

Felicity looked at Diggle for help.

"He is one and half years old. He lives in Russia. But he was born in here." Diggle took the task of supplying answers.

"But that means.." Thea's voice staggered and she gasped. "Oh my god!" She turned to Laurel and closed her mouth with her hands.

The room was silent again. No one dared a look at Laurel. Felicity felt as she has stepped on a land mine.

"Oh, for god's sake! Snap out of it. It's not the first time I got to face Oliver's cheating ways. It's just the first time I came to face with a living proof." Laurel snapped.

"Laurel. We are sorry.." Moira started.

"Don't you dare Moira. Don't you dare apologize for him. It's Oliver who cheated me with all the women in Starling city. It's not your fault. But I think right now we have more important things to discuss than his manwhore plays." Laurel clearly wanted to change the way the discussion went. So Diggle took the mantle again.

"The child has his mother's surname. He had been adopted by Robert after six months after his birth. Right after Oliver moved to Starling city for good. It gives me the idea that may be Oliver didn't know about the child." Diggle said.

"And it's an intriguing situation that Sandra Hawke, William's mother had been killed by a car accident just two days after she gave William for adoption." Felicity added.

"This is a mess. How could Robert keep a child of Oliver a secret?" Tommy questioned from apparently himself.

"He sent Oliver here and the child was in the care of a woman called Raisa." Felicity answered him.

"Raisa was Oliver's nanny. She went with them when they moved to Russia." Moira added another fact.

"So, what we do with this child? We have to bring him here. Shouldn't we?" Thea asked.

"What? What are you talking about Thea? We can't bring Oliver's bastard here. This is where we live. People here can put one to one together and they will figure out that Oliver fathered him when he was dating me." Laurel burst with anger and contempt.

"But, we can't keep a little child in danger's way, Laurel. The Rochevs know about a William Hawke now. They will definitely look into him. He is not safe anywhere in Russia." Felicity tried to reason with Laurel.

"So? We bring him here, Smoak? We can't do that. Do you have any idea what will happen if any of this got out? QC will face a lot of trouble from investors. Media will never leave the gates of Queen Mansion. Our lives will never be same." Laurel went on and on.

"It is true that this situation is not ideal, Laurel. But that does not mean that we can leave an innocent little boy at god's mercy. He will only be safe here. It doesn't matter how he got conceived. If he is Oliver's son, he is family." Tommy stated calmly.

"I didn't expect this from you Tommy. You were supposed to be my friend. You are supposed to be in my side." Laurel turned to Tommy and accused him.

"No one's taking sides here Laurel. We are discussing a delicate issue here. It's about a life of a child. Tommy is right. If that is Oliver's son, he is family." Moira tried to calm Laurel.

"Of course I should have expected this. You all get together and clean Oliver's messes. Always." Laurel was trembling.

"Laurel, stop this now. I think you are taking this too far. You and Oliver broke up a long time ago. I always tried to talk sense to you regarding that boy. But you didn't listen to me. You can't blame other people for your problems. Your sister and Oliver are dead. It is time that you let your anger go." For the first time Detective Lance spoke. He had tears in his eyes. But his face was determined.

"You don't get to talk, Dad. You were the one who treated Sara like a princes and let her get away with all the things she do recklessly." Laurel snapped at her father.

"Laurel, I think you should take a breath. Why don't we go outside a bit and take fresh air?" Tommy got up and went towards Laurel.

"Stop where you are Tommy. You are just like your brother. You don't care for other's feelings. You didn't stop him from being unfaithful to me. You were his wingman. Now don't come to me pretending that you care." Laurel's words stopped Tommy on his steps. Tommy looked like he was punched in the gut.

"Laurel, please don't make this any more difficult than it actually is. No one's comfortable with what happened. But we have to accept the fact that Oliver has a child and the child had a right to be with his family." Felicity tried to make the situation clear.

Laurel looked at Felicity as she was a stranger.

"You may be okay with accepting a bastard of the man you loved as family, Smoak. But I'm not. I'm not that great. You are not the one who has to see the boy and remind myself that my boyfriend slept around when he was with me. You are not the person who lost her boyfriend to her sister. You don't get to ask me to be sensible when you yourself ran away when he was going to marry another woman." Laurel said.

Felicity went pale. Her voice trembled when she spoke.

"I know what you are going through Laurel. Believe me, I know. But that child has not done anything wrong. He is innocent and it is not fair to condemn him on what Oliver did to you. He has lost his mother and father even before he got to know them. You and I both know how it feels to lose a parent. If we can give him anything that even remotely resembles a family, I don't want to take that chance away from him."

"I…. I don't…." Laurel lost her words and her tears started flowing freely.

"Laurel.." Detective Lance got up and took Laurel into his arms. Tommy stayed away from their path as Lance took Laurel out.

After a few minutes Diggles phone started ringing breaking the silence. He took the call and talked briefly.

"Lyla is on the way with Raisa and William." He answered Felicity's silent question.

"How is Lyla with them?" Malcom asked.

"After Felicity found out about William, we contacted Raisa. Apparently Robert had called her two hours before his death and instructed her to stay low and keep William safe if anything happens to him. He had told her that if there is any threat to William's life she has to come to us and give William into our protection. She was waiting for us to contact her. Fortunately Lyla was returning from Russia after her trip there. So we could convince Raisa to leave there with Lyla in an ARGUS flight. They are on the way from airport now." Diggle explained.

"So I get to meet my nephew in a few hours?" Thea asked hopefully.

"Yeah. I hope so." Diggle answered.

"We have to tread in this carefully. Laurel was correct. Media will not leave this easily. And it will affect QC badly." Malcom expressed his opinion.

"We could keep William out of this for some time though. At least until all this mess is cleaned." Diggle said.

"But, how? We can't give up him to the adoption system. We have to make sure that he is safe. We have to adopt him or announce him as Oliver's son. Either way it will be like shit hitting the fan." Tommy didn't hesitate giving his opinion.

"We can't announce of his parentage. At least for now. There is a reason that Robert adopted him rather than giving him Queen Surname. Right now that will be a threat to the child's life. We have to be patient and make all the legal things correct. Then we can arrange his adoption papers. But it will take time." Moira said.

"I can arrange all the papers quickly. But I agree with Diggle. We have to keep the child out of Rochev's radar. And we still don't know who killed Robert. So we have to make sure that no one gets a clue to the relationship of the child to Queens." Felicity's words were approved by everyone.

"So, what can we do? How can we hide a child?" Tommy asked.

"Felicity, I guess that you and Diggle may have come up with a plan. So, why don't you reveal it?" Malcom turned to Felicity.

"I'll take the child with me." Felicity said.

"No" "You are leaving?" both Tommy and Thea spoke at the same time.

"We can't keep him here. I'll be in Central city, not too close nor too far. I can do a job at home. Diggle and Lyla are also planning to move there. Roy could also come if he like. No one will suspect me raising a child of Oliver. As Mr. Rochev kindly put it today, I'm a past fling of Oliver. They will not expect me to keep William. You can come and visit him any time you want. Everyone will think you are visiting me. After one or two years we can move here again if we feel like it. It's perfect." Felicity explained.

Everyone except Diggle was dumbstruck.

"I like to move with you. I can protect you along with Diggle." Roy broke the silence this time.

"I don't like it. But it makes sense." Moira said.

"And it's not fair to Laurel either. We can at least help her to calm down a bit." Tommy said.

"So, Then it's decided. Felicity will take William. I think it will be better if Raisa goes with you too. Let's hope that we make out of this with fewer wounds." Malcom gave the final decision.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 _After 03 years…._

Felicity was driving through the dark roads of Starling city. It's been two days since she had come back to Starling city. As a young woman of 24 years of age, she had gone through so much. She was basically a single mom. A young woman who lead a very busy life.

She had started her own IT consulting company in central city year ago. Upon its success she had begun planning extension of the company to Starling city. She found a very talented group of people she could depend on. Barry Allen, Cisco Raman and Curtis were her employs who had become friends and then family. They encouraged her to move again to Starling city along with William.

William, Her little bundle of joy. He was nearly five years old now. He was a very active and healthy boy with a mischievous smile who remembered her, his father very often. He had dark blond hair and very blue eyes. People often misunderstood him to be her son because of his blue eyes and blond hair. And she never corrected them.

She had a special bond with him. The first time she saw him, she knew that she could never abandon him. She had doubts in her mind about raising a child as a 21 years old woman. Barely being an adult she herself.

And there was the pressing fact of William being Oliver's child. With Laurel's accusations and drama, Felicity was unsure of her own reaction to William. But as soon as she saw him, she knew there wasn't any chance of her hating that little boy.

With the help of Raisa, she was able to fit them into her life. William melted into her embrace quickly. He was starved of love. She gave him motherly love and care. She cried the day he spoke for the first time, his first word being 'izzie', mimicking Iris calling her 'Lizzie'.

Iris, Barry and Joe had become daily visitors of her home. They adored William and never asked the unanswered question about William's parentage. It's a surprising matter that they were close to her than Merlins now.

Moira and Thea visited them often when she moved to Central city with William first. And eventually the visits were reduced. Felicity being Felicity, didn't mind. Tommy visited twice for the three years she was there. Felicity suspected that it has a lot to do with Laurel's despise of the child. Tommy and Laurel were dating for a year now.

She had Diggle, Lyla and Roy to look for her. But, last year was a hell to Diggle. Lyla and he had been separated. Felicity didn't know the exact reason but she tried to be there for her friend as much as she can. So when she suggested moving back to Starling city, Diggle was relieved.

Roy and Thea too had faced a hard time. With Oliver's death and Felicity gone, Thea had become an emotional wreck for a long time. And long distance relationships were never much of a success. When Felicity asked Roy about going back home, he said yes at once.

So, she came back to Starling city. Her company in Barry's capable hands. She didn't move in with Merlins though. She felt like now she had a separate life from them. Tonight she had invited them all to dinner at her new apartment. She took William along with her to the location she selected for the new office. Now William was safely tucked in the back seat of her car, sleeping. She was heading home.

…

"Lizzie, why are we inviting these people to dinner?" William was curious about whole dinner party thing. Felicity was arranging the table. William was helping her with the cutlery placements.

"They are family, Will. It's time that we reconnect with them." Felicity answered the child.

"Why didn't we reconnect with them before?" William followed her to the kitchen.

"Because we were in Central city and they were here. We didn't have much time to see them. But they visited us when you were little." Felicity helped Raisa with cleaning dishes.

"Why didn't we come here before? Why were we in Central city not here?"

"Because, I was in central city when I got you. And I decided to be with you there." Felicity replied.

"Do they know that I'm not your son, Lizzie?" William's voice was strained.

Felicity could detect the uncertainty there. This was not the first time she faced his questions about his parentage. She didn't want to lie to the little child about his parents. After the people from adoption services came for their yearly visit last year, Felicity had to tell William about her not being his mother. That was the second time she cried over him, because until that day he called her both 'Lizzie' and 'Mom' and after that day he never used the word 'mom' again.

"Yes darling. They know. But it's okay. They are very nice. They are my family just as I am yours. After my mom's death they were the people who looked after me. They love you so much. You will definitely like them." Felicity assured the child.

"Will they like me, Lizzie?" William asked her with his lovely eyes turned towards her.

"Of course they will like you, Champ. There isn't any force in this universe who wouldn't like you. Especially when you turned on your charming smile." Felicity knelt down and kissed his forehead. The little boy put his hands around her neck and hung on to her tightly. She held him in her arms and hugged him back. His head was tucked into her neck.

"Now that you have your family back with you, will you still love me as before Lizzie?" William whispered against her neck.

Felicity felt her heart clenched. This little boy held her heart in his little hands. She couldn't stop her eyes being wet.

She tightened her hold and pressed a kiss into his hair.

"I will always love you the most, Will. I have loved you since the day I first saw you. You are my son. It will never change, whatever happens. I will be always there for you." She reassured the boy.

"Even when you get married and have your own kids?" William looked into her eyes expectantly.

Felicity gave him a teary smile.

"Yeah, even then, I would love you the most. I promise."

The child released a heavy breath. Felicity could understand that this was a doubt he had for some time now. He was acting strange for a few days now. She noticed that he always wanted her attention and he was acting hostile towards Barry, when she went on dates with him.

William was afraid of losing her. She understood that now. He constantly asked about his parents from her. And she didn't know much about Sandra to tell him. So she told him that she was a friend of his father. Then he wanted to know everything about his dad. She chose carefully and told him about Oliver. She couldn't risk him telling anyone that he was Oliver Queen's son. So she spared the name Queen and told him that his dad's name was Oliver. She told him that his mom and dad were with god now and they loved him so much.

Then he wanted to know why she wanted to adopt him. She told him that his dad was her friend and she loved him so much that she wanted to be a part of his son's life. William was satisfied with that answer and she was relieved because if he asked any more than that she didn't know how to explain him about the complicated relationship between her and Oliver.

….

Dinner went well. At least until Moira decided to inquire about Felicity's plans for future.

Felicity was nervous herself. This was the first time the whole family met William. She knew Moira and Thea wanted them to move into Queen Mansion. They were silent only because Felicity told them that being at the mansion would bring William into spot light of media. Nevertheless elicity knew they wanted Oliver's child to grow up in his home.

Malcom didn't come and Felicity was happy for that. She didn't want to put William in his presence so soon. He wasn't comfortable with children.

Diggle and Roy arrived a little after Merlin women. The tension between Roy and Thea was evident. They needed to have a heart to heart talk soon. Felicity noted to herself. Diggle tried his best to calm the tension of the gathering.

Trouble arrived when Tommy showed up with Laurel. Felicity was not sure why Tommy decided to bring her along. For her part, Laurel didn't do anything to upset William or any other person for that matter. But she didn't acknowledge William's presence either. She never looked directly at the boy. William seemed to be unaware of the fact too. He was preoccupied with the toys Thea brought him most of the time.

So when the time for dinner arrived Felicity was a bit calmed down and she was sure nothing could go wrong now. Of course she shouldn't have jinxed it.

"So, Felicity. What are you planning to do now? I heard that you are starting a branch of your company here. It will take some time though. Why don't you join QC until that?" Moira asked her casually.

"No, Moira. I don't think that will do. I'm pretty busy with the new branch thing. There is so much to do. And I want to spend some time relaxing. This is Will's first time here. I have to show him around." Felicity declined Moira's offer politely.

"Oh mom. Please give Lizz some time to adjust. We have to plan a wedding Lizz. Did you know that Tommy and Laurel are getting married?" Thea asked her.

"No. I didn't. Congratulations Tommy and you too, Laurel." Felicity turned to Tommy and Laurel and wished them.

"Thank you Lizz. We are keeping it in the family for a bit. We need time to manage the situation. We don't want to be in media spot light right now." Tommy said excitingly.

"Yeah. Thank you, Felicity. We thought that it's time that we settle down." Laurel too replied with a smile.

"Of course they took their time. I thought that I would never see a day one of my children getting married." Moira said.

"Felicity, tell us about your life there. When are you going to settle down?" Laurel asked at the same time William brought his plate and sat down on Felicity's lap.

"I am settled down, Laurel. I am happy and content with my life." Felicity replied Laurel while filling William's plate with food he liked.

"You can't raise other's child forever, Felicity. You have a life. You have to marry someday and have your own children. It's time that you think about your life. You can't stay alone forever." Laurel's words were met with a glare from Thea. Felicity felt the elevation of tension in the air. And she felt William freeze on her lap.

"I don't have plans on marrying anyone in near future, Laurel. I don't want a man in my life to be happy. I have my company. I have friends who are loyal to me. And most importantly I have William. I am not alone." Felicity replied calmly.

"Felicity, I think Laurel has a point here. You have to think about your own future. Why don't you give William to our care? He will be safe and loved. He would want for nothing. We can give him everything he wants. Now that's three years gone, no one will be interested about him being raised at the Mansion." Moira's careful words bruised Felicity's heart. She could feel William getting upset by each word,

"I don't see a reason for that Moira. William is not a burden for me. I have Raisa. We care for him a lot. I know I'm not rich as you guys but I can give William anything he needs too." Felicity tried not to sound angry.

William was looking from Moira to Felicity to Laurel. His hands were trembling in Felicity's hands.

"Come on Felicity. Don't be stubborn. Moira has a point. And as Merlins we have a right to William. We are his family. Now, I and Tommy are getting married, and it will be a great time to introduce William to the relatives and family. You can leave his responsibility with us and leave to live your life." Laurel's words were coated with a sugary smile.

Felicity was getting angry by each second passing. She tried her best to keep calm.

"I think this conversation is too much. Why don't we continue this later?" Roy tried to intervene. Felicity looked at Diggle. He gave her an assuring smile.

Felicity took a breath and held William firmly.

"I'm not leaving William. He is my son. I don't want to give him up. I am his guardian. He will live with me, here, in my home." She stated.

"You are living a lie. William is Oliver's bastard. Not your child. It will be best for you.." Laurel's angry rant was stopped by Felicity's loud voice.

"William is my son. And I swear Laurel, if you ever take that B word in front of me or him, I will forget that you are family. And I think it will be best now if you guys leave. This dinner was a mistake. I didn't want it to be like this. I just wanted Will to get to know his family." Felicity stood up from the dinner table, William in her arms. Laurel also got up taking her purse to leave.

"Felicity, please don't get upset. We just don't want to burden you with Oliver's mistakes. That's why we thought that it would be better if we took William into our care." Moira tried to touch her and Felicity took a step back out of her reach. William clung to her neck.

"I don't like you. I don't want to be with you. I don't want to leave mom." William spoke for the first time since he sat down for dinner. Everyone in the room froze. Felicity was shocked. He called her mom again.

"He calls you, mom." Tommy whispered. Laurel gave an angry snort. "Keep dreaming Felicity. He is Oliver's son. He will abandon you too." She turned and left the room tugging a very shocked Tommy with her.

"Sorry for what happened Lizz, we shall meet again soon." Thea followed them.

"You know me, Felicity. If I want something, I will get them at any cost. I can see the child loves you. So, I leave this matter for now. But, I'm a mother who lost her son. I will do anything to keep my grandchild in my reach. Remember that well." Moira looked directly in to Felicity's eyes and said determinedly

"And you know me, Moira. I hold the people I love close to me. You lost your chance to raise your son long time ago, when you gave up Oliver to Robert. I will not give up my chance like you. I will not lose my son. If you threaten me again or even tried by an ounce to take my son away from me, I will disappear from your reach in seconds. It will take me a few strokes of keys of my computer to make it happen and I promise you, you will never find me or William again in your lifetime." Felicity didn't flinch an inch and stood up to the invincible Moira Queen. William held on to her and gave a glare to Moira that would definitely make Felicity proud if she saw that.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Next day was a busy day for Felicity. She had to talk with her group in Central City in skype. They had a lot of decisions to take regarding the extension of the business.

Then Moira called her at lunch and apologized for last night disastrous dinner. Felicity assured Moira that she was forgiven. But Felicity was not relieved. She felt like something was changed in their bond. She always relied on Moira for strength. She had the feeling that she couldn't do that anymore. She didn't understand Moira's behavior last night. But she was not going to let Moira bully her. Moira was her mentor in standing up to herself, and she learnt well.

Yet Felicity felt guilty over threatening Moira. She didn't want to hurt her. She was defending her son. Just like Moira would do if she was ever put in that position. Felicity justified herself.

Thea also called her and asked her to have breakfast next morning with her. Felicity promised her that she would come. Thea was going through a rough patch. Roy's state was not better. So Felicity thought that it would be better if she had a heart to heart talk with her best friend.

William was with Diggle whole day. And when Diggle came to drop him at home she invited Diggle to dinner. She knew Diggle didn't like going home very much now that Lyla was not with him. It must be so lonely for him to be in the space where they shared since the day they got married.

After dinner she tucked William into his bed and stayed there until he fell asleep. Diggle was at the living room having a beer when she sat down beside him.

"So… How things going with Merlins, Felicity? Did Moira contact you?" Diggle asked.

"Yeah, she did. She called today at lunch and apologized for her behavior." Felicity answered while pouring herself a glass of wine.

"And…?"

"And I told her that I forgive her."

"But..?"

"But, I feel like I'm missing something here, Diggle. Moira is not someone I want as an enemy. She was basically my mother. I don't understand why she acted like that. I came here to live freely. I don't want look my behind every time I go out from the house. I can take care of myself and William. But I don't want to put him at unnecessary risks." Felicity knew if she could discuss her insecurities with someone, it was Diggle.

"I don't think that Moira will try to harm you or William, Felicity. But you have to be careful about how you act around them. I know you consider them as your family. And they do too. But time changes people. You have to give a think about that, cause now you have another family as a mother to a 4 year old." Diggle said.

"William is nearly five now, Digs. He is curious. He wants to know about his parents. I just thought that it would be good if he get to know his family. I didn't expect Moira to behave like that." Felicity said.

"I know that you want what is best for him. But I don't think that it is Moira that you should worry about." Diggle's words surprised Felicity.

"What do you mean? You think I should worry about someone else taking William away from me? Why do you say something like that? Do you think that there is something going on out there? Is it Rochevs?" Felicity was stumbling with words.

"No. No. I didn't mean Rochevs. Even if there could be a chance that they will try something to get revenge for the way they were insulted by Queens and Merlins."

"Who I meant you to be cautious of is Laurel, though." Diggle said calculatingly.

"What? Laurel? No. Dig. I admit that Laurel was way out of line yesterday. But you have to understand that she is hurt. It wouldn't be easy for her, to concede that the man she loved most of her life cheated on her, every time she sees William. I can understand her pain. It would be like if I saw Oliver sleeping with Isabel. Even when Oliver had no commitments towards me, I was hurt when he announced his involvement with Isabel. I couldn't be here, so I left. It was not the fact that he decided to marry someone. It was that he decided to marry someone I already despised. Who I knew would not be enough. I felt betrayed. He deserved more than that. I can't imagine how hurt Laurel would have felt when she heard about William. Add to that he already cheated on her with her own sister, whom she can never hate even if she tried. William is kind of Laurel's Isabel, who reminds her that she was not enough and never will be." Felicity's voice was strained as if she was going through the same pain as Laurel at the time.

Diggle watched her carefully and sighed.

"You are too good, you know. The world is not so much passionate towards good people, Felicity. I don't accuse of Laurel for anything. But I have seen that Laurel is meeting Moira very often these days."

"Of course she would, Diggle. They have a wedding to plan." Felicity interrupted.

"And I was there at the dinner last night, Felicity. Although it was Moira who started the conversation about you and William's future, it was Laurel who goaded you towards a verbal fight with Moira. Moira was just mentioning her concern towards your future. It's because of her grandson, you are holding on moving ahead your life. You don't go out anymore. You don't date. You never let anyone other than us near you or William. Moira worries for you too." Diggle's words amplified the guilt she was feeling before.

"I know." Felicity managed to utter.

Diggle looked at her sympathetically.

"You are not wrong, Felicity. But, Moira is also not at fault. She didn't mean any harm. Though I can't declare same about Laurel. She wanted to make a point. And she did." Diggle was right. Felicity felt that in her gut. She didn't want to condemn Laurel. But, thinking back, she could see how Laurel played her insecurities and how foolishly she herself took bate.

"But, why would she do that? I meant no harm for her." Felicity mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Because of the same hurt you mentioned before and some other insecurities in herself." Diggle answered.

"I don't see.."

"Felicity, she feels that she is not enough and not will be enough. But not because of William, but because of you." Diggle said impatiently.

"Me? But, How?" Felicity was gaping with big blue eyes.

"Can't you see? She is threatened by you, clearly." Diggle said. Felicity couldn't see how Laurel, The gorgeous Laurel could feel threatened by her.

"Laurel is afraid of history repeating itself, in many layers." Diggle said.

"What do you mean?" Felicity asked.

"Two decades ago, when Rebecca Merlin died, leaving Malcom alone with a child, Moira left her own family and married Malcom. Today Oliver is dead and you are raising his child. Laurel is afraid that Tommy will leave her for you." Diggle explained.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I heard in past few years, Dig. I don't think that Laurel have to worry about anything regarding Tommy. And there is nothing similar about our situation and Moira's situation at that time. They got divorced and married for very different reasons." Felicity never told Diggle or anyone about what Moira told her that night. But, Felicity was so sure that Diggle knew something even though she didn't say anything.

"You know that. I know that. But, Laurel doesn't know that Felicity. Look at this from her angle. There is you, who is practically family to the Merlins. And you are raising Oliver's child. Tommy is his best friend. He is also very fond of you. He would never back off from the responsibility of his friend's child. If you and Tommy got married you two can give William stability. So, who is the intruder here? Laurel, of course. And I bet that if Laurel wasn't there already in the picture, Moira herself would have suggested a marriage between you two." Diggle's words seem to sink into her heart. She was panicked.

"But, Tommy and I don't have such relationship. He is like a brother to me." She gasped.

"But, he is not your brother. And he flirts with you."

"Tommy flirts with any living thing. It's in his nature. That doesn't mean he will marry someone he doesn't love." Felicity argued.

"You don't know that for sure, Liz. If he had to choose between you and Laurel, are you sure that he won't choose you? After all it's you who raises his best friend's child. And you are close to his heart too." Diggle's answer didn't soothe her.

"But, he loves her." She murmured.

"Felicity, go back to your own argument again. Oliver loved her too. At least he told so. But, what happened? He cheated on her, even with her sister. He impregnated a girl when he was dating Laurel. She was not enough for him. But when he was with you, he didn't cheat on you."

"We were not together. Why does everyone think that we were together?" Felicity interrupted and then shut her mouth at Diggle's stare.

"Because, for all of us it seemed as there was something going on between two of you. I had never seen him that focused on a girl before and you were totally besotted with him."

"We were always arguing and fighting" Felicity interrupted again.

"Like a married couple." Diggle added and Felicity shut her mouth again.

"So, what I was saying is that you two look good. You were good together. And he was contained with you. If Laurel was not enough for Oliver, who she dated for years, how could she be sure that she would be enough for Tommy? He has a record with women, which is worse than Oliver's. Hence repeating the history, her history with Oliver this time. She is feeling insecure. This situation with William has heightened her doubts." Diggle explained.

Felicity was silent. Wheels of her mind turning and turning,

"Exactly how many times did Tommy visit you in Central City for last three years?" Suddenly Diggle asked.

"Two times. But he called me every week." Felicity answered.

"Yeah. I think he knows about Laurel's feelings. Or at least he has a hunch about them. That's why he stays away from you. Like you said, he loves Laurel. He doesn't want to hurt her, so he stays below the radar. But he also noticed what happened last night. He is not an idiot. I don't think that Tommy will be silent next time, laurel insults you." Diggle said.

"But, what is there for Laurel if Moira is upset with me? Why she rile me against Moira?" She wondered.

"You are a smart girl. Why do you think?" Diggle saked her.

"Does this have anything to do with their marriage? If I gave up William's custody to Moira, I will be out of her territory. Moira wouldn't want Tommy to marry me. And if Laurel can assure Moira that she would take care of William, her position in Tommy's life and Merlin family is confirmed for life." Felicity was thinking aloud.

"That's what Roy suggests." Diggle said.

"Roy? How often do you guys discuss my life, behind my back, Dig?" There wasn't any anger in Felicity's voice. Just amusement and a little bit wariness.

"Oh, a lot. Now that we both are somewhat single men." Diggle chuckled.

Felicity sighed. She knew they loved her enough to put their own problems aside and help her solving her own ones.

"Why do these things happen to me, Dig? I just wanted to make everything better for everyone. I don't want to marry Tommy or anyone for that matter." Felicity was fed up with everyone making things complex for her. Why the heck does Laurel think that she would want to marry Tommy? It just doesn't make any sense. She thought to herself.

"Don't worry yourself by overthinking girl, we are here for you. I didn't want to worry you. I told you this because I want you to be cautious around Laurel and not baited into any trap. She isn't the best lawyer in this city for nothing." Diggle's phone started ringing.

The name 'Lyla' was flashing on the screen.

"Oh, it's your wife, Diggle. Take it." Felicity's voice was teasing.

"Ex-wife. And close your mouth, Lizzy. It should be something important. Otherwise she won't be calling me at this time." Diggle said while reaching for the phone and stepping towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, Yeah, if you say so. Or maybe she misses you. Whatever, take your time Diggle." Felicity shouted laughing.

Diggle answered the phone and Felicity took her tablet and opened her favorite computer game.

Nearly after five minutes Diggle returned. His face was paled, Felicity noticed.

"What happened, Diggle? Why are you upset? Is anything wrong with Lyla?" Felicity stood up and went to him. She was concerned with his obvious distress.

"Lyla is fine. It's about Oliver. They've found him. He is alive." Diggle said.

Felicity felt all her air leaving her lungs.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Oliver was awake for an hour now. He just lied on the hospital bed, his stare blank. He was in Starling city nearly after 03 and half years. He felt like he was away for a decade. So many things would be changed now.

He left the city on 'Gambit' in a hurry. He left several things unfinished and meddled. He knew that behind him now there is a pile of messes. He had to face them. Oliver was not the man he was 03 years before. He had changed, a lot. The adolescent who felt like he owned the world, who had the power to do whatever he liked, who left the city was dead now. He had returned as a man who knew that his irresponsible acts had consequences.

Now he knew that power was never given freely. To gain power you have to give up something. Trying to remain in power Oliver had lost so many precious things. He understood that now. Now he knew what it takes to survive in a world which you could never trust.

Oliver had so many regrets in his life. He had so many, even before he left home in the Gambit. He didn't have the childhood he wanted. He didn't have the family he wanted. He didn't have the life he wanted. The difference was that then he blamed others for everything he had lost.

Yes, it was not his fault that he didn't have that childhood. But it was his fault that he didn't embrace the love and trust which were given freely to him by his family. He messed up his life. It was his responsibility. He knew that now. He understood that now.

He hurt his family. Even now he felt like he can't completely forgive his mother for abandoning him. But now he understood her better. She must have been in a difficult place to take a decision like that.

He didn't blame his father for his irrational behavior and putting him in this mess at the first place. Because now he knew how much under pressure he was to behave like that. A life which always depended on power could do that to a person.

He hurt his siblings. Thea and Tommy were always good to him. But he took them for granted. He always envied their bond. He saw Tommy only as is partner in partying. He never opened up truly to him. May be Tommy understood that after a while. May be that's why Tommy never tried to stood up to him, when he screwed up things. May be Tommy saw that as pointless.

Thea loved him. He knew that. And he loved her too. May be she is the only one in that house he truly loved. She was his little sister. She always confronted him when he acted as an ass. May be that's why they fought a lot. And it hurt that when for the first time he turned to her for her help, she turned him down. If he got to meet or even talk to Felicity that night, everything would have been different. He wouldn't be lost.

Felicity… he hurt her a lot. Oliver knew that she would never forgive him. She trusted him and he just shattered her trust along with her beautiful heart. He used her. He insulted her. He threw her away like a used tissue paper. He hated himself for that. But he had to do that, because at that time all he wanted was power.

He was afraid of meeting them. Oliver didn't know how they would accept him again.

He has to meet Laurel too. He has to apologize to her. For Sara. For cheating on her. For acting like a jerk. He knew that he never felt anything for Laurel. Still he used her. Laurel didn't love him either. She liked the idea of making him a good man. She liked to be the woman who tamed the famous playboy. Yet she didn't deserve what he did to her. Oliver knew he has to make things right now. Then they would be able to tolerate each other at least.

He has to reconnect with his family. His mother, Tommy and Thea. He didn't care for Malcom. But he knew he had to thank him for accepting him to the family again.

Felicity… Oliver was not sure about his approach to her. He didn't know whether he is ready to meet her again, or whether he would be ever. She was the only girl who he wanted to really apologize for destroying her life, except Laurel. But this was very different from Laurel's situation. Felicity was the only one who came to his life not expecting anything from him in return.

He spent his night awake. Like most of the nights he spent on that hellish island, going through all the memories he had with Felicity. The happy ones, when he was working with her, the times when she saw right through his lies and when she stood beside him, defending him, supporting him, believing in him, no matter how bad their situation was.

She was the only good thing happened to him in Starling city. She was the only one he had that saw him for himself. She never saw the billionaire, whom the whole city saw. She never saw the womanizing playboy, whom the media saw. She never saw the irresponsible Ollie, whom his family saw. She saw the Oliver, the boy who tried to become a part of a family, the man who tried to hide his heart behind an iron wall, in order to protect himself from getting hurt.

And he was happy. He was happy when he was with her. He felt light hearted. He laughed with her. He enjoyed time spent with her.

Then he had to screw up everything. It was his fate to do so. He never brought anything good to any life around him. He hurt her in order to get away from her. Oliver wanted power. He wanted to be like his father. And he was successful. Just like his father, he was able to shut everyone who loved him away.

…

Next morning, Moira came to see him. He was looking through the glass window at his hospital room.

"Oliver…"

He turned to his mother. Moira's eyes were shining with tears. Her face was paled. She looked like she had been aged by a decade. But her eyes held the same love she held every time he came home to her.

"Mom…" Oliver whispered.

"Oh my beautiful boy…"

Moira launched to him. He hugged her back. She clutched his shirt tightly. She was trembling. Oliver held her close to him for a while.

They talked for an hour. He was not surprised to hear that his father was dead.

That fateful night when he had a very bad argument with Robert, he told Oliver that if they were not able to clear the mess they were in he would be good as dead. After being unsuccessful in going to china to get help from their partners there, Oliver knew that his father had to be dead by now. That's how their lives ran in Bratva world. If you were in a powerful place you have to pay the price. There was no chance for a failure, or deceit and treachery for that matter. Robert Queen was guilty for both. So he had no chance on living through that.

Yet Oliver grieved for his father's death. He promised himself that he would find his murderers and avenge his death. And he would make all the wrongs done by his father correct. He would clean this city which was poisoned by his father's acts. That's hoe Oliver was going to grieve for his father.

His mother said he was free to go home and they left the hospital after clearing all the paper work.

…..

"Ollie…" Thea was 20 years old now. Oliver couldn't believe the brunette hurricane who ran towards him was his little sister. She had grown up a lot in these 03 years. She ran to his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Hi, sis." Oliver took her into his arms happily.

"I missed you. Oh my god. I thought you were dead." Thea's tears wet his shirt.

"Shh.. don't cry. I'm with you now speedy. You were always there with me." Oliver kissed her hair.

"Didn't I tell you that that yatch suck? You should listen to me next time you take a trip Ollie." Tommy's voice ranged through the hall.

"Tommy"

"Welcome back Ollie, my best friend. Partying was boring without you here." Tommy hugged him after Thea released Oliver.

"I missed you too, Tommy." Oliver hugged him back.

"I'm so happy that our family is together back. Welcome home Oliver. I hope this time you stay with us for long." Malcom came towards him with a warm smile.

"I hope too, Malcom." Oliver shaked hands with him.

"Let Oliver retire for his room dear. He has to be familiar with the surrounding again. Let's get together at dinner." Malcom told Moira.

"Yes, of course. Oliver your room is just like how you left it. Nothing is changed. I will send your lunch to your room. You just rest for a bit. We can all gather for a family dinner." Moira told Oliver with a pat to his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll be there for dinner." Oliver left the living room to his room.

….

"Mom, why did you want to talk to me? And here in all the places?"

Thea's voice rung through the library when she opened the door to the library. Moira was just behind her. She entered the library and closed the door behind them.

"I wanted to talk to you before the dinner Thea. About what we should tell Oliver right now."

Moira's words interested Oliver who was sitting on the floor at the end of the book racks. He came to the library to be alone. He had to plan his next steps carefully and he needed a clear mind for that. The last place he expected to be interrupted in this house was the library, but apparently he was wrong.

Moira and Thea were not in his sight line and he didn't make any attempt to let them know that he was here. He knew that eavesdropping is bad, but in his defense they were discussing about him. So he listened to them.

"What should we tell him or what should we hide from, you mean mom?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, you are correct Thea. I don't think that we should tell him about the recent situation, at least not right now. He has enough in his plate with coming into terms with Robert's death and Isabel's interventions on QC. I don't want to burden him with anything else."

"But mom, we have to tell about her and this situation to him at some point. He has a right to know. She is his family now."

Thea's words intrigued Oliver. About whom were they talking about?

"I know Thea. I'm just asking you to stay silent about that for tonight. Tommy and Malcom agreed with me too. They also think that we should give Oliver some time to get used to see them together in this home."

"You mean you are going to ask them to come home, mom? Are you going to invite them to live here? Mom, she will never agree to it. She hates Oliver. He hurt her enough. I don't think she will take the risk of coming near him again and letting him mess up her life once again. She is in a good place now. She is happy with him. I don't think we should intervene in their life."

Oliver realized about whom they are talking. Laurel. Of course it was about Laurel. They were talking about her engagement to Tommy. He saw about the engagement rumor in a magazine at the hospital. He was surprised when nobody mentioned that to him before. But now it makes sense. Mom thinks that he would be upset if he got to know about his ex-girlfriend marrying his brother. Laurel is family now. And he has to get used to see them in his home now. But she hates Oliver. Both because of his betrayal and Sarah's death. And she will never come to live under the same roof where he lives. Oliver felt bad for Tommy. It must be hard for him to clear all the mess Oliver made around Laurel and her family.

"Actually I was going to invite her for dinner tonight. But Tommy thought we should test the water before jumping into it." Moira said.

"Thank god. Tommy knows her best in these situations mom. You should take his advice. Let them come clear with their problems. Don't interrupt. It's their life. Their choices." Thea reminded Oliver of Felicity.

"You are right. So do I have your assurance that you would keep quiet at dinner?" Moira asked.

"Whatever mom. I really don't want to discuss these things with Oliver. I want to stay clear of them. I have enough problems of my own with Roy." Thea replied.

"About that Thea, why don't you invite Roy for the dinner? You two should communicate first to solve your problems."

"Mom, you and I both know that you are not the best person to give relationship advices. And I didn't invite him because I didn't want this dinner to end up like our last dinner at Felicity's. Roy is not the best fan of Oliver and I can't be sure that he won't end up saying things he shouldn't have said. So I just ask you to let me solve my problems alone. I repeat, Don't interrupt, please."

Oliver was surprised with Thea's words, the strength they showed. He realized that Thea was not the teenager who she was when he left. She was a strong young woman now.

"Yeah, you are right. I just want the best for my children. I thought that now Oliver is back, I could see all my children happy and together. That includes, Felicity, Laurel and Roy too, Thea."

"I don't think that some of them will ever fit to the roles you think for them, mom. But let's hope for the best. i have to leave now to Felicity's now mom. I asked her to come with me for shopping. I'll be there for the dinner."

Thea's parting words brought Oliver back to his previous thoughts about Felicity. How was she now? Has she changed a lot? Has she found someone to love? Someone to tell her day about? Was she alone, like him?

Moira sighed and left the room a few minutes after Thea.

Oliver was alone again, with his thoughts and plans for the future.

He couldn't think about Felicity anymore. Oliver told his heart thoroughly. He had a mission here. He had to find his father's murderers. He had to make the things right which he messed up with Bratva. Most of all he had to turn this city into a safe place again, as his father asked him to do just before he set his foot in Queen's Gambit.

Oliver was not the boy who was shipwrecked three and a half years ago. He was a man who came back to living with only intention of bringing justice in his own way, to a city which was destroyed by his father and his friends.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Oliver expected a lot of things to be changed around him in the years he missed. He accepted the fact that everyone around him is not the people they were when he left them. They had to be changed. He expected that.

But nothing could have prepared him to see Felicity with a child.

Oliver and Tommy were at the city mall. Tommy wanted to take Oliver in a tour around the city. They were checking the new stalls of the mall. Oliver was looking for a new phone to buy when Tommy excused and went out of the shop. Oliver didn't mind. He liked the alone time with his new phone to be. After purchasing the phone, Oliver came out of the shop looking around for Tommy. That's when he saw her.

Her small figure was covered with a pair of denim trousers and a brown color coat. She was wearing her panda flats. Her blond hair was waving in a pony tail when she talked with Tommy so animatedly. There was no way that he wouldn't recognize her at once.

Felicity…

She was beautiful. He could say that even when he saw her from behind. Her little figure was etched to his memory. She was talking excitedly with Tommy. Tommy hugged her and kissed her cheek in a way Oliver didn't like at all. They were saying byes, he realized.

And then….

Oliver lost his breath when he saw a little boy of age not more than five ran to Felicity and hugged her denim clad legs from behind. And Felicity turned around, her focus solely on the child. She unwound child's arms and gathered him in her arms. The little boy hung his arms around Felicity's neck and hid his face in the crook of her neck. It felt very natural, like she always hold the child near her heart. Strange ache went through Oliver's heart. It was like a lightning. For a moment he thought that the child is very lucky to be held like that.

Oliver stood a bit behind them and continued to watch their interaction with Tommy. Tommy looked as if he was a bit nervous but it was clear that he was not a stranger to the child or to the bond they displayed. Felicity's back was towards Oliver and he could see that Tommy saw him behind them.

Whose child is that? He didn't remember Felicity having told him about any cousins or relations. Neither has he remembered that she had friends who had children or who were expecting. So it couldn't be a nephew or a son of a friend. And she certainly was not pregnant then, that child to be her. Oliver was confused.

He took off from the place where he was rooted and went towards them. Tommy's face got darker by several shades when he saw Oliver nearing.

"We met again Felicity." Oliver's voice was calm and clear. Felicity jumped at his voice and turned back.

"Oliver…" she whispered. Her eyes wide, her face paled and her breathing intensified.

"Hi.." Oliver whispered back softly.

"Hi.. umm.. Welcome back." Felicity replied with a small smile.

The tension of the situation was clearly visible. As if sensing it, the child took his face from Felicity's neck and stared at Oliver.

The little boy had Blond hair just like Felicity but, a bit darker shade and a pair of ocean blue eyes. Just like Felicity. He was giving Oliver a calculating look, just like the Felicity gave him, when she met him for the first time. Oliver was intrigued by the child. If he didn't knew better he would have think the child to be Felicity's for sure.

"Umm… Well… you two met again. I…"Tommy was stuttering.

"Yeah… you look… good. I mean you always looked good. But I mean prettier." Oliver didn't know why he was nervous around her.

"Usually I'm the one who talks in sentence fragments." Felicity managed to utter with a nervous smile. Oliver could say she was affected as much as him by this sudden meeting.

"I don't remember you having a child before I left, Felicity." Oliver said. Felicity exchanged a look with Tommy.

"Uh.. He was adopted by Felicity, nearly after you were disappeared Ollie." Tommy replied.

Oliver didn't wave his stare from Felicity. She was holding the child tight to her body.

"Adoption? How old are you, Felicity? Nearly 25 years old. Aren't you? Don't you think that it is a bit earlier to give up on having your own family and going adopting toddlers?"

Oliver didn't know why he was being such an ass. It's like he couldn't stop himself from jabbing her when she is near him. He hated himself for that. Yet he couldn't ignore the fact that he didn't like the image of Felicity being a single mom. Or was she? May be the father of the child is around. May be she is dating the father. Oliver's heart clenched at that thought.

He came to earth by Felicity's fierce reply.

"Who said that I have given up the thought of having my own family? I could marry someone if I want and start a family. It's just that my son will already be in that family." Felicity's voice was like ice. Oliver could feel the coldness in his bones.

"Or she can still marry the father of her son and complete her family." Tommy added.

Oliver flinched. The father of the child… The thought gave him very unattractive feelings in his stomach.

Felicity was busy glaring Tommy, and Oliver didn't understand why. May be she didn't like them discussing her relationship with the father of the boy, he thought to himself.

"What's his name?" Oliver wanted to change the topic, obviously.

"I'm William. And I'm not a toddler. I will be five in two months. Who are you?" The little boy was shooting daggers at Oliver through his eyes. He surely didn't like Oliver.

"I'm Oliver. I'm a friend of your…"

"He is the brother of Uncle Tommy and aunt Thea, Will." Felicity interrupted Oliver.

"Is he a child of a friend of yours?" Oliver was curious.

"You could say that." Felicity replied.

"Where are his parents?" Oliver couldn't stop himself before asking.

"Not in the picture." Felicity answered, again giving Tommy a warning glance. Oliver recognized that look easily. She was warning Tommy to not say any more in that matter. Tommy shrugged.

"Mom, shall we go now? Otherwise we would miss our lunch with Uncle Barry." William sweetly asked Felicity.

Wait. Who is this Barry?

Felicity was clearly shocked by William's words. She gave an exasperating look to Tommy and Oliver was sure Tommy was trying to control his rather mischievous smile, or laugh. Oliver could feel something going on here. Tommy looked like he had received his Christmas gift early.

"Of course, you can't keep your Uncle Barry waiting Will. I'm sure you haven't done such thing ever." Tommy said chuckling.

"I think we should go now. I'm hungry and it's time that I put a decent meal into your stomach after a heavy shopping trip, Will. So guys we are leaving. It was nice to meet you again, Oliver. I hope we will meet again soon." Felicity rushed the words out and was interrupted by a small voice.

"I rather if we won't."

Everyone stopped and turned to William. Felicity's eyes widened and her face flushing quickly. Tommy was clearly amused. Oliver couldn't decide whether he should be amused or insulted. William was shocked too, if the dark red color of his face was an indication.

"I said that aloud, didn't I?" William asked sheepishly, giving his puppy dog eyes to Felicity.

"Yes, you did, young man. If you have anything else to say this would be the time." Felicity's voice was stern, but her eyes twinkled.

"I'm sorry, Oliver." William muttered.

Tommy laughed and Oliver couldn't stop his smile.

"Oh, God Smoak..! Your son also can't keep his inner mouth shut, just like you." Tommy ruffled William's hair.

"Yeah, and how much happier I would be if at least one of us was given a filter in the mouth. There is no god. I'm certain, now."Felicity was not a bit upset. She was smiling.

"I can only pray that your babbling tendencies are not contiguous, or he will definitely get it." Tommy said.

"Thank google. He doesn't babble. Or at least not yet. I don't know what I would do if he starts rambling too." Felicity gave a dramatic sigh.

"If he goes for his father he will probably brood, not babble." Tommy said with a smirk.

"I prefer he doesn't go for any of his father's attributes Tommy. And it's better if we leave now. Good bye. Don't forget your appointment with me tomorrow." Suddenly Felicity was serious again and turned to leave.

"No way would I forget that, Smoak. Take care." Oliver stared longingly as Tommy said byes and the lady with the child left.

…

"So, since when does Felicity live in Starling city again?" After a long pause at the car, Oliver asked Tommy.

"She shifted back here just over a week. She lived in Central city for nearly three years. But why do you care, Ollie?" Tommy gave a brief glance towards Oliver.

"It's just that I saw her after a long time, Tommy. I was surprised to see her with a child." Oliver said.

"Yeah, I understand. I wouldn't have ever imagined Felicity being a mom at merely twenty three. But she is happy now. She went through a lot Ollie. If anyone of us deserves to be happy, it's her." Tommy's words were met with Oliver's silence.

Yeah. That was true. Oliver thought. Felicity deserved happiness. Especially after what he put her through. But, seeing her as a mother to a child had made knots in his chest. Oliver wasn't sure what he was feeling. Was he upset? If so why? Does he feel happy for her? He didn't know.

"So, the parents of that child… Are they alive?" Oliver asked.

"William's mother is dead. The father is alive though." Tommy replied without looking at Oliver.

"Do you know him? I mean the father." Oliver asked again.

"Yeah." Tommy shrugged.

Oliver wanted to ask his name. But he was afraid. If he knew him he would have want to kill that bastard for hurting her. And Oliver didn't think it will do any good to any of them, especially to Felicity's and his relationship. He was even surprised that she talked to him at all. He surely didn't want her to think of him as a killer.

"Did… did Felicity have a relationship with him?" Oliver was not sure why he was asking these questions from Tommy, yet he couldn't stop himself. He was just curious. He said to himself.

"They were close to each other for some time. At least that's what we thought. But he appeared to be an ass at the end." Tommy replied.

Oliver had a sudden urge to hit something. Preferably someone. He himself had hurt her too much. He didn't want anyone else to hurt her too. And now, it seems like she has had to go through it all again.

"Then why the hell she took his child into her care? Why did she care at all? Why did she make sure that his child was loved?" Oliver all but yelled.

"Because, she loved him. When they were together, she fell in love with him. Even after he proved to be an idiot, she being a genius herself couldn't fall out of love with him. That's why." Tommy stopped the car and turned to Oliver.

Oliver was dumb-stricken. He blinked twice. Is there something that he didn't catch? Tommy was upset. Oliver couldn't understand why.

"I just wanted to know what happened when I was missing Tommy. It's just that. I don't understand why exactly you are so upset." Oliver said.

Of course Oliver didn't want to share what happened to him in those years. And he definitely didn't want to pry to other's lives. But this was about Felicity. He wanted to know what happened to her.

Tommy let put a heavy breath and replied.

"Nothing. It's nothing Ollie. I just want to say that, if you were up to any of your old ways towards Felicity, you'll have to face me first. I may not have being there to protect her the first time you hurt her, but I won't let that happen again. She deserves the best, so don't even think about it if you are not dead serious. Because I am serious about this and you will be dead for sure if you mess up with her again. Me, Diggle and Roy would make sure of that."

Oliver was speechless. He had never seen Tommy being this serious. He even sounded dangerous. Oliver made a mental note to not angry Tommy much in the future.

"So, where to now?" Tommy shifted on the seat and started the car again.

"To Laurel's office. I have to apologize to her."

"There are so many ways to die in this world and you chose it to be beaten by Laurel's shoe in the head. Good. Very good. Pure classic." Tommy chuckled.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Doorbell was ringing continuously. Who is at the door, which couldn't wait until she open the door? Felicity hurried towards the door. It was 10 in the morning. Raisa went out to the park with William and Roy. Felicity knew she should let the boy have some time away from her motherly hold. But still she was nervous about letting him out with anyone other than her.

She opened the door and her eyes went wide at the person who was standing at her door.

"Tommy! What are you doing here?" Felicity asked.

"I thought we made plans to meet today, when we met yesterday, Smoak. Why are you surprised? Don't tell me that I drank so much last night, that I made up those plans only in my head." Tommy smirked and entered through the opened door.

"No, you are right. But I thought you wouldn't stick to the plans today." Felicity recovered and checked the corridor before closing the door after him.

"Why is that, Lizz? And why are you checking the corridor? Did you expect me to bring someone else?" Tommy teased her.

"No, I was checking whether you had a bodyguard with you. After everything you were faced yesterday evening, I thought you may not leave home least not alone." Felicity answered.

"It will take more than an attack from some kidnapping group to make Tommy Merlin hiding in his room, Smoak."Tommy sat down on her couch.

"Of course." Felicity sat across him.

"Are you mocking me?" Tommy raised his left brow.

"Not at all. How can I mock the mighty Merlin heir? I wouldn't dream about it." Felicity smirked.

Tommy laughed.

"I missed you, Felicity. Life was boring without you." Tommy sighed dramatically.

"Always a drama lover. Are you sure that your surname isn't Queen? And I would bet my company that you would have said exact sentence to Oliver too, after his comeback."

"Oooh, you just lost your company. I said to him I quote "Partying was boring without you." Tommy air quoted using his hands.

"Life and partying. Is there a difference in the meanings of those words to you, Merlin?" Felicity asked.

"Good point. Actually… you are right. You can keep your company." Tommy pretended that he was taking a very difficult decision.

"Thank Google. I was so afraid." Felicity acted like she was very relieved.

They both laughed.

"So, where is Will?" Tommy asked.

"He went to the park with Raisa and Roy."

"I thought you never let him out of your sight."

Felicity sighed.

"I don't. That's why I sent him today. I should teach him to be independent of me. Raisa and Roy are there. They will keep him safe. I trust them with my life."

"You are preparing him to be independent of you? What do you mean?" Tommy leaned a bit towards her.

"I… I just thought that, now Oliver is here, and I can't and I won't pretend that he is not. William is his son. I won't deny either of them their rights. If Oliver wants to be a father to his son, I would have to let him." Felicity was looking at her hands on her lap.

"Lizz, this is a serious situation. Even if Ollie wanted to be a part of Will's life, he wouldn't want you to give up your position in his life."

"And I won't. I won't give up on Will, Tommy. It's just that I'm preparing myself. When William gets to know that Oliver is his father, he will definitely want to be close to him. I will never deprive him from his father's affections. I would have to step aside and take the backstage. That's all."

Felicity knew that Tommy would understand her. He knew her so well to not to.

"Is this the way that you tell me that there will never be a chance for Ollie in your life again?" Tommy asked. His voice was devoid of humor.

"There is no chance for anyone in my life Tommy, at least for a while. I don't want to make things complicated for Will." Felicity answered.

"You are a remarkable person, Felicity Smoak. But remember this. You can't always keep your heart safely tucked away from all the hurt. You are human. You have to come out of that shell and give your heart to someone who will cherish it and love it at all his might. I know first time it went wrong. But you have to try again. A girl has to kiss several frogs before she finds her true prince." Tommy's voice was caring. It melted Felicity's heart. She felt light hearted. Like her burden went away with Tommy's care.

"Did you just call your brother a frog, Merlin?" She teased.

"Oh you have to be truthful to your best friends, even it means that you have to spill your brother's well-kept secret. He is truly a frog." Tommy said in a whispering mode.

Felicity laughed again. She hadn't felt this much lighter for an age.

"I would have said that he takes his frog form at night, but that wouldn't prove my point because you of all people should know that it is not true." Tommy gave her a mocking head tilt.

"You, devil..! I can't believe you said that to me." Felicity smacked his leg.

"Ouch. I couldn't stop myself, Smoak. Sorry. Sorry." Tommy chuckled. They both were smiling.

"So, tell me Tommy. How was your evening went yesterday, apart from being kidnapped of course?" After a few minutes Felicity asked.

"It went well. At least for me. After meeting you at the mall, we went to meet Laurel." Tommy replied.

"Laurel? You and Oliver?" Felicity was wandering how that situation may have gone. Laurel was not in her best moods these days and Oliver going straightly to her place wouldn't have best results.

"Yeah. He should be thankful that I was there. Otherwise Laurel would have buried him now. I really think that the only reason she didn't kill him then and there was that she wouldn't want me as a witness to the murder case. And also the fact that killing Oliver will put her in Moira's bad books." Tommy said.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. I mean, what's with him? He knows that Laurel is angry with him. After all he ran away with her sister and he came back alive when her sister didn't. If I were him I would have remain at least 10 kilometers radius away from her." Tommy fake shivered.

"Oliver was never the brightest person in the family when it comes to other people's emotions, Tommy. He may have thought that, if he apologized, Laurel will forgive him." Felicity said.

"What? No way. He dated her for a long time. He should have known by now that, it takes a lot to change Laurel's mind if she believes something. And I would say she never hated someone as much as she hated him." Tommy said.

"So, what happened? Did she talk with him?"

"Yeah, more like she spat at him. She said that she wanted him in hell for a long time than three years."

"Oh, I don't know what to say." Felicity said.

"You mean, you didn't want that for him?" Tommy was intrigued.

Felicity sighed. After a second she shook her head in denial.

"No, Tommy. I didn't want that for him."

Tommy understood that topic was closed for now. They were both uncomfortable when talking about Laurel and Oliver in the same sentence.

"So, did you see the 'Hood guy' too?" suddenly Felicity asked.

"No, I didn't. Wait. How do you know about that? I'm sure we didn't let out that. Not to media for sure." Tommy asked.

"Well… after hearing about your kidnap in the morning news, I may or may not have made a call to Detective Lance." Felicity was looking sheepishly at Tommy.

"You called him and he told you that? I thought that those details were confidential. May be I should have a word about this with Laurel."

"No, please. I… I demanded him for information. After all if he didn't tell me I know exactly where to look. At least this way he could keep their digital records uninterrupted for a while." Felicity shrugged.

"You are something else, Smoak. Remind me to never find myself in your bad side. When you mention your special hobby like that, it's scary." Tommy said.

"You have nothing to worry about that, Merlin. You are too special to be in my bad side." Felicity smiled.

"Yeah, I have that impression on people." Tommy beamed.

"Who is this 'Hood guy' anyway? Do you have any idea?" Felicity asked.

"No, I didn't see him. Ollie says he saw him. But there's only his word to prove that." Tommy's answer made Felicity curious.

"What do you want to imply by that Tommy? Are you telling me that Oliver made that up? Do you think he fought with them and took care of a gang of kidnappers?" Felicity wanted to know.

"I don't want to imply anything Felicity. I'm just telling you that I didn't see any man with a hood; I saw movements and heard someone fighting with the kidnappers though." Tommy said.

"And?"

"And I know that if Oliver wanted to fight them, I'm sure that he had the skills. Bratva would have made sure of that." Tommy looked directly into Felicity's eyes and said. Felicity gasped.

"You know about that. But, How? When?" Felicity asked.

Tommy smiled.

"Do you think that with all the time I looked for Oliver in past three years, I wouldn't have found out about his connections to the Bratva? Yes, I was shocked first, when I got to know that our Ollie was in mob. But, when I thought about that for a while, it all made sense. He had a lot of things to hide. May be that's why he was always so distinct." Felicity didn't know how to respond to that revelation.

"But, I guessed that you knew that. At least for a while. Don't you?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, I knew. For a while." Felicity answered.

"He fooled us all with his I-don't-care-if-the-sky-fell-in-my-head attitude." Tommy said.

Felicity was silent.

"And that's why I like your decision to keep him out of your life, Smoak. He is dangerous to you and Will. I think you are better off without him." Tommy leant on the seat and placed his hand on hers.

Felicity nodded. Tommy left a sigh and took a heavy breath.

"Where is Dig? I thought he was supposed to be with you or Will all the time." Tommy asked.

"He is at your home. I was talking to him in phone, just before you came. Moira has asked him to be Oliver's bodyguard. Dig is not happy much." Felicity was again her cheerful self.

"No way! I think it's my luck that I got away. Is that why you checked for a bodyguard when I came in?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah. But even if you were given a body guard, it would have been Roy. Now that's Diggle has an assignment." Felicity replied.

"In that case, why Roy is taking William out? I thought Will was more familiar with Diggle." Tommy asked.

"Well… When Diggle has asked Roy to be Oliver's bodyguard, Roy has straightly rejected it. He has said I quote, 'If you want Queen safe, you wouldn't want me around him. If I couldn't kill him myself, I would happily hand over him to the next gang who wants him dead.' According to Dig, Roy was very serious when he said that and there goes the job to Diggle." Felicity scrunched her nose and replied with air quotations.

Tommy laughed.

"You know what, I like that kid. Even if he dated my little sister."

Felicity smiled.

"So, Roy hasn't forgiven Oliver for what he did to you. Has he?" Tommy asked, suddenly being serious after a moment.

"No, he hasn't. It will take some time. Roy is very loyal to the people close to him. I think Dig also has some grudge against Oliver. But Dig is not known for irresponsible and erratic behavior, unlike Roy." Felicity said.

"And you?"

"And me? What"

"Have you forgiven Ollie for what he did?"

There was a silence for a few seconds before Felicity answered the loaded question.

"I don't have a grudge on Oliver, Tommy. He did what he always did. He always takes and takes and takes. And he took from me too. I was the fool who fell for him. It was my fault. I wasn't cautious. I should have been. So, yes. I have forgiven him. But, No. I haven't forgotten what he did. I can't Tommy. He used me. He used me to hide from Moira's suspicions. I trusted him and he used that for his play of power. He broke my heart. I don't know whether I would ever be able to trust anyone to let my heart open again. He did that to me. I forgave him because now I want to move on. I forgave him. Not for him. But for the peace of my mind."

Tommy nodded in understanding.

"I'm happy for you, Lizz. You were never a person to hold grudges. You are too good for that. I just want you to know that, whatever decision you take regarding Oliver and Will, I will support you. I promise." Tommy patted her hand.

Felicity gave him a grateful smile.

"So, did you meet Barry yesterday? I thought he was in Central city. I was surprised when Will mentioned him. From what you had told me, I had the impression that William didn't much like Barry." Tommy said.

"Yeah. He came yesterday morning. We had something to take care of regarding expansion of the company. About what happened yesterday, you should have seen Will when Barry came here in the last morning. He was elated. And Barry was shocked too. I think that's all Moira's and your fiancé's fault."

"What? What does Laurel has to do with that?"

"William started behaving like that after our disastrous dinner here. Diggle, Roy and Raisa also have noticed this. We think that he is afraid that I would leave him. After all Moira offered to take him away from me to help me to settle down. We guess that William thinks if I would settle with someone like Barry, who likes William, then I wouldn't give him to your family. It's gone into his head that Barry would help him to have a family of his own."

"Oh…"

"Yeah.. It's too complicated. I don't know why that child thinks for that long. He is so insecure that when we were in Central City, once he put boiling water on a guy who came home to take me to a date."

"He must be so afraid of losing you, Lizz." Tommy said.

"That's why I thought that I should give him some space. Last night we had a long talk. I assured him that I would never give up on him. And I suggested Barry to stay in a hotel. I don't know what I would do if I saw William smile so lovingly at Barry ever again. He is too sweet to Barry that, it's so unsettling. He is so determined in his mission to have a family that he now worships the floor Barry walks on."

Felicity sighed.

"What does Barry say?" Tommy wanted to know.

"He is happy that Will doesn't hate him anymore. Barry loves Will. He helped me a lot to raise Will in Central city. He and Iris were Will's official baby sitters. It reminds me that I have to have a talk with Iris about what she should tell William when she talks to him by phone. I'm completely sure that she was the one who mentioned me, Barry and marriage in the same sentence in Will's presence." Felicity said.

Tommy chuckled.

"So, is Barry the only suitor for you in Will's mind or are there more?"

"Thank Google. It's just Barry." Felicity chuckled.

They fell into a comfortable silence. It was broken by a ringing of the Felicity's phone.

Felicity answered the phone mouthing Tommy the word 'Roy'.

"Hello Roy. Is everything all right?" Felicity asked while walking towards the kitchen. Tommy stayed in the living room. After a minute, Felicity returned.

"They are having lunch at the mall. Roy said that they will be here in two hours." Felicity told Tommy.

"I'm sorry for what Laurel said in that dinner, Lizz. I never had the chance to apologize for what she did." Tommy said.

"You don't have to apologize for her, Tommy." Felicity waved her hand gesturing that she is ok.

"No, I shouldn't have brought her here. I knew she was upset about you coming back. I just thought that it would make it easier for her to be familiar with you and Will again. I was wrong."

"She needs more time, Tommy."

"Yes, she feels insecure, Felicity. I know it sounds silly, but I know her. She doesn't hate you. It's just that she is weak in that front. And Thea provoked her just before we came here that day, saying that if you and I got married, William will have a stable family." Tommy said.

"What?" Felicity was shocked.

"I proposed Laurel two weeks ago. We kept it a secret between two of us for a while, because we didn't want Moira and Thea to start Wedding preparation at once. When Thea said that in front of Laurel, I told her and Moira that I am engaged to Laurel." Tommy explained.

"Thea never liked Laurel much, Tommy. It will take time to warm her to Laurel. Just give her some time." Felicity said.

"This was not the first time she mentioned that to me, Lizz. She told me the same thing just the day after I proposed Laurel. And you know what, if I hadn't proposed Laurel then I would have thought about Thea's preposition." Tommy's words astonished Felicity.

"You don't mean that Tommy. You don't like me like that." She said.

"But I like you, Lizz. You are one of my best friends. One of the few people who know me close. If I marry you and gave William a family, it would be the best thing I can do for my brother. If I had proposed you, would you have rejected me?" He asked.

"Yes, No… I don't know, Tommy." Felicity couldn't give a straight answer.

"It is a complicated situation, Lizz. Do you remember the day you stayed at Queen Mansion just before you moved to Central City with William?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, William was confused and afraid. Raisa wasn't at the Mansion. Will cried the whole night. It took me to walk around the whole mansion holding him in my arms to get him settled." Felicity replied.

"I came to your room later in that night. You were sleeping in the rocking chair holding Will to your chest. The sight you made, Lizz! I stared at you for a long time. I wanted to have that in my house. I'm hundred present sure that if I wasn't already in love with Laurel, I would have fall for you then and there." Felicity was shocked beyond words. She stood there like a statue. She couldn't believe her ears.

Tommy looked straight into her eyes.

"If I had the nerve to be honest with myself three years before, I wouldn't have let you go Felicity. I never wanted you to go. But, I couldn't stop Oliver from hurting you. I couldn't be a good enough friend for you. So, I let you leave without uttering a word. If after three years I had the chance to correct my wrong, I would have gladly taken it."

Felicity didn't know what to tell.

Then, the doorbell rang again.

"It can't be Roy and the group. Are you expecting someone else?" Tommy asked.

"No." Felicity walked towards the door.

Tommy went after her.

Felicity opened the door and stared at the person present at her doorstep.

"Oliver… What are you doing here?" She asked from Oliver who was staring at her.

Oliver was looking straightly into her eyes. His face had a cold look. She could detect that something was wrong. Oliver's blue eyes were infuriated. Why? She wondered to herself and was answered when his reply reached her ears.

"I want to meet my son."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 _Two hours ago…_

Oliver was running. He was running towards the Queen Mansion.

Last night, after the kidnapping situation, he decided that he couldn't wait anymore. He couldn't hold his plans anymore. He had to act fast. His time was running up. He mentioned about the "Hood guy" to SCPD. So now he had a chance to do what he came here to do.

So Oliver woke up very early in the morning today and planned for the day. He has to go to his father's abandoned steel factory, which he checked last evening when he was going on the tour around the city with Tommy. And he has to start checking for the people he wanted gone from this city, this world.

All his plans went on until he came down the stairs and met his mother who was clearly waiting for him, at 8 in the morning nevertheless. Malcom and Diggle were beside her.

"Good morning everyone." Oliver greeted.

Malcom and Diggle nodded in acknowledgement and his mother replied.

"Good morning, darling. Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes mom, I'm going out today. I have to meet Tommy and some other friends." Oliver lied.

"Ok. Oliver, I think you remember Mr. Diggle. He will be accompanying you from today." Moira said.

Oliver felt a trap ahead.

"Mom, I don't need a baby sitter." He replied.

"He is not a baby sitter, Oliver. He is a professional in this field. After yesterday's incident I think it will be good if we let him do what he requires to keep us safe." Moira countered.

"Mom.."

"Darling, if Oliver thinks he doesn't need anyone.."Malcom tried to reason.

"I need this. Please Oliver. Let him be with you. At least for my peace of mind." That was the end of that discussion. Oliver nodded and turned towards the door out of the house. Diggle followed him.

"So, Mr. Diggle. What should I call you?"

After getting into the car Oliver asked Diggle. He knew Diggle from his life back here. But, Oliver never made the attempt to be friend with him.

Diggle was a family friend and he was at Military service, when Oliver and Tommy made havoc in the Starling city in their teenage years. After that Diggle started the security service and made sure that all the trouble made by two of them didn't reached tabloids. At least he tried. But, Diggle mostly dealt with Thea's and Felicity's safety. Oliver knew that Digglle was very close to Felicity, that probably he hated Oliver to the core.

"Call me Diggle, or Dig." Was the short answer given by Diggle.

"Ok. So, Diggle, let me clear some things. You don't have to come with me everywhere I go. I know you clearly don't like that too. I will call you if I need you when I go out. You can do whatever you like in meantime." Oliver told him casually.

Diggle glanced at Oliver from the rearview mirror.

"I take orders from Mrs. Merlin, Oliver. You will be safe in my presence. I'll make sure of that. But, don't make the mistake thinking that I like keeping you safe. I'm doing this because Moira asked me to do this. Otherwise I don't care if someone took you out of here for another three years, preferably for more than that."

Diggle said with a voice that indicated that he wasn't joking in this matter.

"Okay…" Oliver felt like he was threatened by his bodyguard. So he decided that it was time to say good bye to Diggle for the day. He jumped out of the car.

Yes. Just like that.

Oliver was free again and now he was running towards the Queen mansion with the intention to go inside without getting noticed by anyone and to take the trunk he brought from the island, to the old steel factory.

Oliver's plans were again thwarted when he entered the living room for the second time today. Again Moira was waiting for him. This time she was sitting on the couch. Oliver felt like he was doing hide and seek with his mother and clearly he was losing to her.

"Oliver, it took you a little bit long. Did you run all the way here? Come and sit down. I have something to tell you." Moira's voice was ice cold.

Oliver went towards her and sat down in the chair opposing the couch. He expected the lashing out.

Moira sighed.

"I thought that this could wait for a bit, at least until you get comfortable around here again. But I was wrong. It is better if you know what is awaiting you in near future. Then you will be able to understand the mess you made around you before you went missing because of your irresponsible behavior before." Moira wasn't angry. It was more like she was tired. Tired of what? Him? Oliver wandered.

"I'm sorry, mom…" Oliver started.

"No. You are not. Don't lie to me again Ollie. You have to understand that your doings have consequences. I always let you get away. But not this time. You have to grow up." Moira's words were getting heated.

"Mom, I just came back." Oliver started again.

"And now you are back to your old ways. No, Ollie. You are 29 years old. You have responsibilities to your family, to your siblings, and to your company. You have to take things into your hands. Don't give me that look Oliver. I know you are just acting like you don't care. I didn't tell you anything when you wanted to come here for good. I welcomed you into my home. I didn't tell you anything when you wanted a position in QC. I gave you that. I didn't tell you anything when you slept with each and every woman in your vicinity and cheated Laurel with her sister. I thought you were going through a rebellious phase. I didn't tell you anything when I knew that you were involved with your father's illegal activities in Russia. I thought that you will see your father for what he is and come back to us. Most importantly I didn't tell you anything when you hurt Felicity again and again in front of my eyes. Even though I loved her so much, I didn't stop you when I saw you two getting close. I should have. In fact I thought that she would open your eyes. I thought she will bring you back to us. But, you hurt her in the end and I didn't tell you anything and instead I let her go."

Moira took a long breath. Oliver was listening.

"I love you very much, Oliver. I'm your mother. You will understand my feelings, when you hold your own child in your arms. But, I can't let you go on like this. After you went missing I blamed myself for a long time for your disappearance. I thought that if I have ever stood up against your mishaps, may be you would be here, with us. I don't want to do the same mistake again."

"Mom…"

"Don't Oliver. Listen to this carefully. Do you know that you are still engaged to Isabel?" Moira asked.

"What? No. I broke up with her." Oliver replied quickly.

"No, you didn't. You and your father had signed a contract with Isabel and her family. It clearly says that you have to legally break up with her in case like that." Moira said. Oliver was baffled.

But when he thought about that, it made sense. Of course his father would have made a contract like that to make sure that Oliver stay true to his promise. Oliver got to know about the marriage contract the day he broke up with Isabel. Now he could understand his father's anxiousness. Robert was so upset with him.

"So, what is the problem? I will meet the lawyer tomorrow and do all the necessary things and make it official." Oliver said.

"It's not that easy Oliver. According to that agreement if you ever break the engagement, the 25% of QC which were to be given to you by your father goes to Isabel."

"What?" Oliver couldn't believe his ears. Yes, Robert Queen was an evil man. But, surely he wouldn't disinherit his own son if he refused to marry an evil woman. No way.

"Yeah. That's why this is so confusing and complex, Oliver. I don't know what your father thought when he agreed to these conditions, but it is how things are to be." Moira said.

"But, surely we can do something about that. Can't we?" Oliver asked.

"We can't Ollie."

The silence of the room after Moira's words were deafening. Oliver tried to process what he heard. So, if he wanted to keep his father's shares, for which he lied to everyone in his life, to himself he had to marry Isabel. No way. He thought he escaped this once. But, who ever said karma was a bitch, should receive a gold medal for stating that fact. Oliver's life was a prime example for that statement.

At that time Diggle entered the room. He was coming out of the kitchen. He was holding a glass of juice in his hand. When he saw Oliver sitting there with Moira, he smirked.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your discussion, Moira. But, I'm going out. Roy is at the park. Even though I trust him with my life I don't think that it would be easy for him to keep that little boy out of trouble himself. For a five year old, that child is just as mischievous as his father." Diggle gave himself am amused smile. As if he was happy with himself for a well delivered joke.

Moira gave him a tight lipped smile along with a nod.

Finally Diggle gave Oliver a smug look and left.

Oliver didn't understand any of which Diggle said. He should not be surprised. After all for a man who was pride of himself for his devious brain and cunningness, Oliver now felt like a fool. A fool who was fooled by everyone around him, especially by his father.

"This is a serious situation. But, nothing we should be worried much and we couldn't solve. That's not what I wanted to discuss with you." Moira said.

If Isabel taking his 25% shares of the QC or he marrying Isabel to avoid that is not a compressing matter to be worried about, Oliver didn't want to think about the matter his mother was actually worried about.

Surely nothing can be worse than this. Huh?

He had a very bad feeling about what's to come when his mother asked him the next question.

"Did you know a girl called Sandra Hawke?"

Oliver remembered the girl. Five to six years before he had a brief relationship with her. Not to mention that he was dating Laurel at that time. He remembered that girl because, after a several weeks she called him one day, in Russia and told him that she was pregnant with his child. He was upset and he told about the situation to Robert and arranged her to visit him in Russia. But, then she called him again after a few days and informed him that she miscarried. Oliver was so relieved and that was the first time he understood that he is not made up for commitments.

"Yeah. I knew Sandra Hawke. What of her?" He asked.

"She was pregnant with your child." Moira said.

Oliver didn't deny it.

"Yes, and then she miscarried." He replied.

"No, she didn't."

"What?" this seemed to be the only question word in his dictionary today.

"She had a son. Just after you settled down here, your father adopted the child. And Sandra died from a mysterious car accident." Moira said calmly.

Oliver was stuck. He couldn't process everything his mother was saying. He, Oliver Queen, a father….

"But… how do you know these things. I didn't know about this. How did you find this?" Oliver asked.

"Your father's last will said that if anything happened to both you and him, the QC shares will go to William Hawke. We didn't know about a William Hawke. So we searched and found him to be your son."

William Hawke. The name stirred something in his mind. But Oliver wasn't in a position to think much about it.

"Where was he? Where is he now?" Oliver managed to ask.

"He was with your nanny, Raisa. We brought him here. We had to protect him because Rochevs were very angry with what happened. We couldn't openly take him into our care without stirring a scandal. So we took our best option. We changed his surname and gave him to the best person we knew who would love him as her own child." Moira's eyes were glistering.

"Who?" Oliver was afraid to ask the question. Even before Moira's answer, Oliver's heart gave him the answer.

"Felicity. She adopted him. His name is William smoak. Felicity is raising your son, Oliver." His mother dropped the bomb on his head.

Oliver didn't really remember what his mother said after that. He was driving towards the address his mother gave him, after a few minutes.

That little boy he saw at the mall was his son. The child who hugged Felicity's legs like a vine, the boy who she held closer to her chest was his son. The little boy who had blue eyes and blond hair, just like him was his son. The boy who directly told him that he would prefer not to see him ever was his son. The child, who resembled Felicity in so many ways that he would think him to be her son if he didn't know better, was actually his son.

Suddenly so many things become clear to him, now. The chat between Thea and his mother, which he eavesdropped, was not about Laurel. Actually they were talking about Felicity. He understood it now.

Thea had said that he had a right to know, because she was his family. Yes, of course Felicity was his family. She was his child's mother. Adoptive mother.

His mother had wanted to invite Felicity to bring William home and live with them. But Thea said that Felicity will never do that, because she hated Oliver. He could see where she was coming from. He had hurt Felicity so much. She definitely wouldn't want to live under the same roof he lives.

Oliver was hurt too. it's just that he didn't know why he felt that way.

He remembered his encounter with Felicity and William yesterday. Now, come to think of it, he could see that Felicity was tensed to see him. He thought it was because of their history, but may be it was because of their future.

And he clearly remembered their exchange of words. And all the looks of knowing exchanged between Tommy and her.

And the glare Felicity gave Tommy when he mentioned that she could marry the father of her son and complete her family. Surely Felicity didn't enjoy the idea.

She tried to avoid the topic of her son's parentage. When Oliver asked her whether William was the child of her friend, she said that he could say that. Was she reluctant to call him a friend of hers? And she said that child's parents were not in the picture, when he was right in front of her. How dare she?

And he couldn't forget her parting words, 'I prefer he doesn't go for any of his father's attributes Tommy'. Felicity hated him. Oliver was hundred percent sure of that.

Then he analyzed his discussion with Tommy about the woman and child.

Tommy didn't lie to him. He answered all Oliver's questions honestly, yet he didn't say a word about them they didn't want Oliver to know.

Tommy said that he knew the father of William. Of course the father was Tommy's best friend, his step – brother.

Tommy said Felicity and the father of the child had somewhat of a relationship. He was certainly correct. And the fact that he was an ass in the end was also true.

Oliver felt his feet getting cold when he went to the part where he asked Tommy why did Felicity has adopted the child of a man who hurt her. 'Because, she loved him. When they were together, she fell in love with him. Even after he proved to be an idiot, she being a genius herself couldn't fall out of love with him. That's why.' Those were the exact words Tommy delivered.

Because Felicity loved Oliver. It was simple as that. And he couldn't forget the fact that it was past tense.

Oliver had reached the destination given to him by his mother. Felicity's home.

He took the steps as quickly as he could.

Oliver rang the doorbell.

After a few seconds, the door opened. Felicity, stared at him. Open mouthed and her blue eyes wide.

"Oliver… What are you doing here?" She asked from Oliver. He couldn't form a complete sentence. This woman, who was standing in front of him in a yellow sundress, had adopted his son. This woman who was always at the end of his insults and cruelty has given a loving home to his son. This cute petite blond, he had once deceived and left broken has being raising his flesh and blood for past three years.

Oliver didn't know what to tell her. He couldn't understand the mixed feelings he was feeling. He was sad. He was happy. He was relieved. He was nervous. He was touched. He was furious. Yes. It was mostly his rage, for which he had no obvious reason.

"I want to meet my son."

Oliver saw the blood in her face drained. Her breath hitched. She blinked twice. Her face was saddened for a second. Then she composed herself and opened the door completely and moved aside inviting him inside silently.

That's when he noticed Tommy. He was standing at the living room entrance. Tommy watched Oliver's and Felicity's interaction carefully. When his gaze was fully focused on Oliver, he returned the steady gaze. After a moment Tommy silently nodded and turned back and went inside. Oliver followed him; Felicity closed the door and followed them.

They were all seated comfortably in her living room and nobody dared to start the conversation.

After a while, it was Tommy who broke the silence.

"Who told you?"

"Mom"

Felicity sighed.

"Where is he?" Oliver asked.

"He is with Roy and Raisa. They went to the park." Felicity replied.

"I…. I..." Oliver fumbled with words.

"We wanted to tell you. But we thought it would be better if you had time to get familiar with your surroundings, first. I mean, this is a complicated matter. William is nearly five years old. I can't just introduce you to him as his dad. He should be comfortable with you first. That's why we waited. I know, maybe you are angry with us for hiding this from you. But you have to understand that, it's just a few days from your return. And we didn't know whether you will be interested in being a part of his life. As a matter of fact, we still don't know about that. Do you want to become a part of his life, Oliver? In Will's life? Oliver?"

Oliver missed Felicity's ramblings. But this was a time he welcomed her babbles. She was nervous, just like him.

"I'm not angry at any of you." Oliver lied. He was angry at everyone.

He was angry with his father, for hiding the truth. For not trusting Oliver, to do what should be done. For ending up him in this mess.

He was angry with his mother, for telling him the truth, this soon. For not letting him get away with this. For giving him the chance to have the responsibility of his doings.

He was angry with Tommy, for standing silently behind Felicity. For thinking about her getting hurt, but not him. For being Uncle Tommy to William when Oliver wasn't there to be the 'Dad'.

He was angry with Thea, for acting like nothing's changed. For being silent and neutral. For wanting to let Felicity and Oliver to resolve their issues themselves.

He was angry with Diggle, Roy and Barry, even though he hasn't even met the latter in person. For being the father figures to his son, when Oliver should have been there. For letting the cute little blond who is sitting in front of him biting her lower lip, to take so heavy responsibility on her shoulders when it should have been Oliver's burden to hold.

He was angry with Felicity, for being there for him, when he clearly didn't deserve it. For being the mother to his son, which Oliver didn't have in his childhood. For being the strong woman who respected his rights in his son's life, even if he didn't want them.

Oliver was angry with Felicity for being kind enough to not to punish his child for his wrongdoings to her.

Oliver was angry with Felicity for loving him so much, that he, Oliver Queen, the mighty Queen Heir feels so poor and inadequate in front of her shy smile. He was not strong enough to return her favor. With the life he wanted to live, with the intentions he had, he couldn't afford that.

The doorbell rang again.

"Mom, we are home." William's voice screamed from the door way.

Felicity got up and went towards the front door to open it to let his son inside. Before opening the door, she turned towards Oliver who followed her there and gave him an assuring smile.

Then she opened the door.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Are you going to marry my mom?" Felicity was shocked by William's question directed to Oliver. She could see that Oliver was equally stunned by it.

"William…" Felicity started.

"I asked him, Lizz." William's stubborn scowl had found the person who had passed it to him.

"No." was Oliver's short answer.

William held Oliver's gaze for a few seconds. Then he nodded to himself as if he was taking notes and sat down.

Felicity was relieved that she had send Diggle, Tommy and Roy away from her home telling them that Oliver and she need space to settle down things regarding William.

Upon entering the home with Roy, William jumped into her hands relating her all the things they did in that morning at the park. Behind Roy, Raisa entered closely followed by Diggle.

It was Raisa who first saw Oliver.

"Master Oliver! Oh my beautiful boy! It's so nice to see you again." Felicity had never seen Raisa this happy.

"Hello, Raisa. It's nice to see you too." Oliver stepped forward and hugged the old woman.

In felicity's hands, William turned and observed their interaction.

"Lizz, why is he here?" William turned back to her and asked her in a whisper.

"He is here to see us." Felicity whispered back.

"Then why is he hugging Raisa?" he asked again in the hush voice.

"He knows Raisa from a long time. She was his nanny also." Felicity hushed back.

"Like she is mine?" He asked again with a frown on the face.

"Yeah, like you." She kissed his hair and replied.

Roy ignored Oliver and went pass them to the living room. Diggle stayed behind them and closed the door.

Oliver turned to Felicity and eyed William nervously. Felicity felt the tension of the room rising.

"Hello William." Oliver greeted his son with a hesitant smile.

William observed him for a moment and replied.

"Hello, uncle Tommy's brother."

Felicity decided to take the control of the situation.

"William, why don't you go inside with Raisa and have a bath and change into a new suit? After that we can have lunch with Oliver."

William got down from her hands and raced to Raisa.

"Okay. But can I have peanut butter with toast? Please mommy. Pretty please…"

Felicity smiled.

"Okay."

"Yay..!" William jumped and ran inside the home.

"You are allergic to peanuts." Oliver said.

"Yeah, so?" Felicity raised her right eyebrow.

"You shouldn't keep food you are allergic to in home. They could get mixed with your food, especially when there is a child at home." Oliver said matter of factly.

Felicity looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. Since when was he this considerate about her?

"I know that, Oliver. But, William loves peanut butter. I'm not going to deny him anything he likes, just because I'm not comfortable with it." Her reply had an underline message. She was sure that Oliver caught that by his expressions.

They all sat comfortably in the living room.

"I want him to know me." Oliver declared calmly.

"It's not about what you want. It's about what is best for him." It was Roy who replied.

"Isn't it better if he got to know his father? His family?" Oliver turned to Roy and asked.

"Again, not your decision to take." Roy wasn't backing down.

"I am his father." Oliver growled.

"…who was not there for five years." Roy interrupted.

"It's not like I wanted to abandon him. I didn't know about him." Oliver was trying to not to lose control.

"and, that is your excuse? Your father took him from his mother. Yours and your father's actions put him in danger. You have no right to just waltz back into his life and say that you want to be his father." Roy stood up from his seat and Felicity touched his arm and calmed him down.

Oliver knew Roy had a point. But he refused to acknowledge that. William was his son. He had a right on him.

"and there is Felicity's life to consider too. You have to be clear about what you want to do, Oliver. Do you want the shared custody of Will with Felicity? Or do you want to be the father who visits occasionally? What will be the contribution you would make?" Diggle was always the voice of wisdom.

"If I say I want the sole custody of my son?" Oliver asked looking directly into Felicity's eyes.

"I will fight you in each and every step. I won't give up William's custody." Felicity replied determinedly staring into his eyes.

Oliver nodded and leaned back in the couch.

"I won't fight you, Felicity. I think that it will be better if he is raised in your care. But, I want him to know that I'm his father. That he is a Queen. The last Queen heir." Oliver said.

"We can't give him your name, Ollie. Not now. We can't make him a target to Rochevs. For three years we kept him safe. We can't put all that effort into nothing." Tommy said.

"What do you think, Felicity?" Diggle asked from Felicity who was silent for most of the conversation, which was very unlike her.

"I think, William has to know his family. That was why I brought him here after three years. But, Oliver can be a part of his life, only if William wants him to. I think that's better. We can introduce Oliver to William, and let them interact for some time and then decide what we should do."

Felicity saw Oliver sigh in relief. 'He desperately wants to get to know his son.' She thought to herself.

"What if he got close to William and then left him? What if he hurt him, just like he hurt you? How can we guarantee that he won't break Will's heart? " Roy suddenly asked.

"I would never…" Oliver started. But was interrupted by Felicity.

"We can't Roy. But, Oliver is his father. We have to trust him."

"Is that you speaking, Smoak? Are you going to trust him? Again? After all the things he did?" Roy was surprised.

"Yes. You are right, Roy. I won't trust him ever with myself. But this is William we are talking about. I trust Oliver to not to hurt his own blood." Felicity replied. Roy huffed in irritation.

"That's decided, then. We will introduce Oliver to Will and see what happens after that." Tommy got up and turned to Diggle. "I'm going to Laurel's. If you need a ride I can give you a lift."

"Sure. I'll join you. Roy?" Diggle asked from Roy, who was still frowning at Oliver.

"I'll be here. I have to discuss something with Smoaky." Roy replied.

Felicity got up and went to Roy's side.

"Roy. It's okay. We will talk later. You go with Dig. I want to discuss things with Oliver." Roy looked at her with doubtful eyes.

"Alone." Felicity pressed.

Roy sighed and stood up again.

"Okay, then. I'll see you at dinner tonight. Give me a call if you need me before that. Tell William that we left."

Giving Oliver a one last glare Roy left along with Tommy and Diggle.

Oliver and Felicity sat in silent for nearly ten minutes after that. Felicity had nothing to talk with Oliver and nor the desire to listen to him.

She brazed herself for the upcoming discussion with William.

Oliver seemed to be in a deep place too. Several times he gazed at her as if he wanted to say something, but then looked back at his hands which were o his lap and stayed silently.

There silence was broken by William's arrival. William came running to Felicity and sat on her lap.

"Where are Uncle Roy and Uncle Diggle? They promised to give me a ride around the block after lunch." William asked.

"They had something to do, Will. So they left. They will join us for dinner." Felicity replied.

"So, why is he here?" Will asked turning to Oliver, this time not whispering.

Oliver straightened up and looked at Felicity expectantly. She kissed Will's temple and took a deep breath.

"Will, do you remember what I told you about your dad?" Felicity asked from the child.

"Yeah. You said that he died from an accident. He was your friend. And you loved him so much that after his death you took me into your care, to be my mom." William replied with ease.

Felicity watched Oliver's nonchalant mask crumble with the child's words.

"William, your father went on a ship three years ago, and that ship got lost in the sea. That's why we thought him to be dead. But after three years they found him. Your father came back home. Would you like to get to know him?" Felicity patiently described the situation to the little boy and waited for his reaction.

William's eyes widened. He stared at Felicity for a moment and then turned his head towards Oliver. He observed the large man, who was sitting in their living room, silently with tear filled eyes. Then he turned again to Felicity with the obvious question in his eyes. Felicity slowly nodded, assuring him and releasing him from her hold, letting him free.

William took a step towards Oliver, who got half out from the seat and crouched on the floor without breaking the eye contact with the boy.

Felicity could see that Oliver was trembling.

William didn't let go Felicity's hand but reached Oliver with his other hand.

The father held on to the small hand of the child and kissed the backside of the hand.

"Hello, William." Oliver whispered.

"Hello, dad." William replied with a growing smile.

Oliver looked from the child's face and gazed Felicity. She smiled at him. He returned it with a genuine one from himself, which Felicity had the privilege to see a long time before.

Oliver hugged the little boy at the same time Felicity let go the child's hand. William clutched Oliver's shirt in his both hands and hugged him back.

Oliver made the eye contact with Felicity who was watching their interaction intensely and gave her a silent 'Thank you.'

After a while they were all sitting on the couch again and then, William asked the taboo question.

"Are you going to marry my mom?"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Everything is going to be alright.

Yes.

That was what Oliver felt in this morning. Yesterday was bliss. Day before yesterday was the same. Every day since his son was introduced to his life was perfect.

It was one week now, since that eventful morning. Oliver went to Felicity's home, every morning. He spent his day with William. He took him out. He played with him. They took lunch together. Sometimes even dinner. Sometimes Felicity also joined them.

Everything was perfect.

Even his interaction with Felicity was okay. Yes, she never overstepped her line of being polite. She was trusting him, with William. They were making a progress. But she never discussed anything except about William with him. Still Oliver considered it as an achievement regarding their history.

Felicity was a prohibited territory for Oliver. The people who were close to her, made sure that he understood it perfectly. Tommy and Thea tagged along Oliver most of the time he spent at Felicity's home. They both had given him the talk 'stay out of her life, Ollie' to him. Roy was still giving him glares each and every time he saw Oliver around Felicity. Diggle was constantly shadowing Oliver and therefore always present at any of his visits. Even Raisa tried to warn Felicity by phoning her before she comes home, every time he was there.

It was hilarious sometimes to see the depth these people would go for Felicity. Sometimes he felt envious of her because of that. She found herself a family wherever she went.

What wouldn't he do to have people who loved him as fiercely as that?

Yet, Oliver felt lucky almost as Felicity now. Because there was a person, his son who loved him so purely that most of the time he felt undeserved all the love he received from him.

William loved him. It was simple as that.

…...

Moira and Oliver talked a lot about the 'Rochev situation' a lot. They explored all the options they had at hand and discussed them with both Robert's lawyer and Laurel. It was a bit awkward first to meet Laurel and maintain a discussion with her that wouldn't end up with getting him slapped by her. But, not so surprisingly Laurel was very professional in these matters. Even Tommy and Malcom joined them in some discussions. And by their conversations Oliver gathered that Felicity was also informed about most of them by Tommy.

Finally they came to a decision and Oliver felt relieved.

They contacted Isabel's lawyer and asked her to meet them next morning.

Tonight they had a party to host. It was annual Merlin-Queen party. They had invited many of their business associates and family friends. And Felicity was invited too, though she had told him that she won't be bringing William along. Diggle was sitting William at home for the night.

Oliver was nervous. This was the first time he was meeting Felicity in his home after three and half years. Yes, he called Queen mansion home now.

He remembered the last time she was here. She had left him at their doorstep, staring at her vehicle retreating, confused with his own feelings, feeling something changing inside his heart.

Felicity had stared at him with tearful eyes and then kissed him at the cheek and left him.

Oliver remembered that day very well.

He hated that day.

Oliver wanted to start a new.

He was looking forward for tonight.

He had planned to talk to her tonight. To ask for forgiveness from her. Yes, he had a lot of things to apologize for and it was not his strongest field. Yet with all the things happening with William, Oliver wanted to try.

….

Oliver was talking with some of the investors of the QC. The party was going alright. Just like all the boring parties which were held among the elite of Starling.

He saw Felicity entering the hall with Roy. He didn't expect to see Roy here tonight. But, he was sure that Roy would be with Thea for the most of the night. So Oliver was not much worried.

Laurel had come as early as it was suitable for a soon to be the daughter-in-law in the family. At the moment she was talking to some family friends, Tommy with his arm around her waist.

Moira and Malcom were talking with Walter Steel, the CFO of the QC.

Oliver kept his eye on Felicity all the time he was talking with the investors. She made small talk with various people, going around the party floor.

Oliver tried to make eye contact with her several times, yet she always steered her eyes away from him.

After a while Oliver managed to extricate himself from one of the board members and made his way towards Felicity, who was standing at the other end of the hall.

That was the time the hall suddenly went into silence and Oliver turned towards the entrance to see the most hated woman in his life, standing there.

Isabel Rochev.

She was standing there like an avenging fury. Her look was cold and strangely calm.

"Oh God. Why couldn't she wait until tomorrow morning?" Tommy made his way to Oliver's side.

"Why is she here? I went through the guest list twice. I don't remember her name being there." Thea was also there.

They waited for Isabel to make her way there.

She came towards them with a smirk on her face. Her two lawyers were beside her.

"Isabel, it is very impolite to attend the functions where you are not invited." Moira confronted her.

"Awww… You hurt me Moira. Isn't it better if both your soon-to-be daughter-in-laws were present in here? I thought may be my invitation was lost along the way." Isabel smiled sweetly.

"No. you were not invited. I made it sure myself." Thea replied her.

"Huh, It is not a way to treat your sister-in-law, Thea." Isabel smirked at her.

"You never will be my sister-in-law, Isabel. Both of my brothers have brains." Thea said.

"Oh. I don't have any interest in Tommy, Thea. But, Oliver is a different matter. We are engaged, for nearly four years. It's a bit long time for an engagement, don't you think? I think it's time that we plan our wedding. May be we can arrange both ours and Tommy's wedding on the same day." Isabel looked at Oliver and turned again to Thea.

All the guests were gathered around them making the Merlin family and Oliver standing at the center of the hall, along with Isabel's group.

Oliver could see Roy making it towards Felicity and taking her hand in his.

Thea and Isabel were having a glaring contest. Neither backing down.

Oliver stepped ahead and turned to Isabel's Lawyers.

"We informed you that we will discuss about the engagement agreement and my father's will with you tomorrow morning. Why are you here tonight?"

At that note, Oliver noticed Laurel leaving the room in a hurry.

"Why Oliver, are you not happy to see me? I'm your fiancé. I know you enough to know that you will never give up your company shares for anything. So, is that wrong if I wanted to make our wedding arrangements quick?" Isabel asked.

"You are wrong Isabel. I made the arrangements to meet you tomorrow, because I didn't want to do this publicly like the last time. But, it feels like the right time as you are here at the moment and I don't want to keep you in your fantasy world any more. Yeah, you are correct, I love having my family company at my hands. But, if there is something I value more than the company, it's my freedom. So, yes I'm giving up my shares to you. I'm breaking my engagement with you. This time legally, fortunately." Oliver could see Isabel's face going red. She definitely didn't expect this.

"You wouldn't dare." Isabel growled.

"Oh, I do dare, Isabel." Oliver chuckled.

"And here are the official papers. Oliver has signed them." Laurel came to his side and offered the documents to Isabel's lawyers.

"You lost your company to me right now, Queen. I have bought another 20% shares from the market. Now I have 45% of QC shares, which is higher than your mother because she had to sell some of her shares last year to make sure the company didn't go broken at my hands. Now she has only 40% of the shares. And she can't buy anymore of Robert's shares, because of his will. I'm the person who has the most shares and both of you and your mother should get ready to go home, along with your faithful CFO, Mr. Steel." Isabel was seething.

"About that, Isabel. Yes. I have only 40% of the shares and because of Robert's stupid will I can't by any other shares in the market. But, the will said 'a Merlin' can't buy his shares, and fortunately all of my family members are not Merlins. A certain 'Smoak' bought another 5% of the shares and she had agreed to sell me those, and that makes 45% for me too. So, if you are planning to become the CEO of QC, I will gladly become your co-CEO." Moira said to the very angry Russian woman.

"That means we still have the company, in case if you are unable to understand what Moira said." Tommy gave Isabel his most famous crooked smile.

"And you will never become a 'Queen'." Thea chimed in.

"You will regret this day immensely, Oliver. I promise you that. You and your family will be perished at my hands. That includes Felicity and her little group also." Isabel muttered under her breath as she stepped into his personal space and glared at him.

"You should make the promises if only you can keep them, Isabel. I will never let you harm my family, including Felicity and her little group. And you better pray that nothing will come their way. Because I learned some new things in that island that even the Bratva don't teach you in Russia. And I would never hesitate to practice them here on anyone who threatens my family."

Oliver replied her in the same tone.

Isabel hissed a curse and turned towards her lawyers.

"Let's go. I have to get ready to become a CEO tomorrow."

"co-CEO" Tommy interrupted and received another curse, this time in Russian.

"And before you leave, you can return my mother's engagement ring, Isabel. As beautiful as it is, it doesn't belong in your fingers." Thea held her hand, palm turned up.

Isabel huffed in annoyance and took off the ring from her left hand. Then she threw it at Oliver and left the hall, followed by her lawyers.

"That went well." Moira sighed. Oliver too felt light hearted.

"Well… a family party isn't complete until it has some drama. Now no one in starling can say, a party in our home is boring." Tommy announced in his chill voice. Laurel rolled her eyes at him.

"I loved every second of it." Thea sang.

After nearly an hour, the party has come to an end. Most of the guests had left. Only the Merlin family, Walter, Laurel, Roy and Felicity and few other employees were left. Oliver has tried to talk to Felicity several times, and has finally realized that she was avoiding him.

He took his phone out and dialed her number. She was talking with her old mate at QC and answered the phone without checking the screen.

Oliver watched her across the hall.

"Hello…"

"Felicity, it's me. Please don't cut..." Oliver couldn't say anymore. She turned and found his eyes and hung up the phone.

Oliver tried again. Her phone was switched off.

This was not going to work. He made up his mind and started walking straightly towards her.

Oliver had two paths in front of him. One led him towards his original plan which he had formed before he returned to Starling city. To become the killer he was. To bring the justice to the people who poisoned this city along with his father. It was the only path he had before him. But that was before he met Felicity and his son again. Now, Oliver could see another path. A one where he could have the family he once craved for. This path led him towards happiness.

One path directed him towards correcting his father's wrongs in the past and, the other one directed him towards building a future with his family, correcting his own wrongs.

One path directed him to become the son his father wanted and to fulfill his last wishes, while the other path directed him to become the father his son wants and to fulfill his dreams.

As taking his steps towards Felicity, Oliver chose the latter.

"Felicity…" he called her, just standing two feet behind her. He was loud so she couldn't pretend that she didn't hear him.

Felicity turned and faced him. Her blue eyes cold.

"Thank you for helping us with the shares." Oliver said.

"You are welcome. Although I did that for Moira, not exactly for you." Felicity smiled politely and turned again towards her friends. He interrupted her. Oliver was so not used to being ignored.

"Felicity, I want to talk to you." Oliver said to her. He could sense all the eyes in the room on them. He knew Felicity also felt that, if the blush adorning her face was any proof.

"If this is about Will, we can talk when we meet tomorrow, Oliver." Felicity replied calmly.

"No, this is not about Will." Oliver said.

"Then, I'm afraid that we don't have anything to talk, Oliver." Felicity started to leave the place. Oliver took another step and stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"Don't, Felicity. I want to talk to you." He insisted.

"Not now, Oliver. This is neither the place nor the time for us to talk. And I don't want to listen to you right now. So, please let me go." Felicity tried to get her hand out of his hold.

"No, I want you to listen to me. Please Felicity." Oliver didn't lose his tight hold.

"Oliver…" Tommy stepped ahead.

"Don't Tommy. This is between Felicity and me. I'm just talking to her." Oliver told him.

"Okay. What do you want to talk?" Felicity asked impatiently.

"I… I want to apologize to you, for the things I did, before I went missing. I acted like a jerk and hurt you. I'm sorry Felicity." Oliver said softly releasing her hand.

Felicity was looking at him intensely, her head slightly cocked to a side. Oliver felt like she was looking through his soul.

"Look, I know I did a mistake. I totally understand. I just want to make it right. I can't take back what I did or what I said to you. But, I'm sorry." Oliver said at fast as he can.

Felicity didn't say anything. She was silently observing him, studying him. Oliver felt nervous, like a child who was caught cheating at an exam.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Look, I already said I'm sorry. It all belongs to past. Why can't we forget that and start a new?" Oliver asked and that earned a reply from Felicity.

She sighed.

"You are correct, Oliver. It all belongs to past. But, nevertheless it is my past and I don't want to talk about my past." She again turned to leave.

"I want to marry you." Oliver snapped.

Felicity stopped. Her eyes widened. She stared at him. Oliver could see that all the people around him were stunned too.

Tommy hissed a curse. Thea held Roy's arm tightly. Moira and Malcom were watching the interaction closely.

Oliver went down on one knee in front of Felicity. He took the ring which Isabel returned before and looked up into her eyes.

"Felicity Smoak, Will you marry me?"

Felicity's eyes glistened. Oliver was waiting for her answer on one knee.

She took a deep breath and replied.

"No, I don't want to marry you, Oliver."

And she took off from the hall. People parted away and let her go quickly. Oliver got up and started following her.

"Ollie, Don't." Tommy tried to stop him. But Oliver shrugged him off and ran after Felicity.

"Felicity" He shouted after her.

When he stepped into their portico, she had already started her mini and once again nearly after four years, Oliver was left at their doorstep by Felicity.

He watched her car leaving the Queen premises. Once again confused. Once again feeling like he was drowning in pain, but this time he recognized it for what it was. It was the pain of being rejected.

When he turned towards the entrance, once again he was faced with Thea. Just like that day nearly four years ago. But, this time she was watching him with a look of pity.

Oliver moved towards her and stopped in front of her.

"I'm not going to say 'I told you so' Ollie. Let's go inside. I think you made an idiotic move. And offering her the ring which you gave to Isabel! That was the most stupidest thing I have seen you doing." She said.

Oliver didn't say anything. He was so sure that she would accept his proposal, that he didn't saw the obvious short comings.

He followed Thea inside.

"It's a record, Ollie. Breaking an engagement with one woman and getting rejected by another in the same night. Even I waited for one year before proposing to Laurel, even after we were having a healthy relationship for a long time. Considering your disastrous history with Felicity, and after all our threats I can't believe you did that and screwed it up majorly. What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?" Tommy came towards them with two glasses of vodka in his hands and gave one to Oliver.

Oliver took the glass and put all the contents into his mouth. He took the glass on Tommy's other hand and drank it too.

Then he set the glasses aside and spoke.

"I offered her marriage and she rejected me. It's over. I just wanted to make William happy. I don't care for her. She may think that she hurt me, but she is so wrong. I'm not hurt. I will make her regret this day."

"Yeah, I'm sure that you are not hurt. And for that last line, this is the second time I heard it tonight." Tommy patted Oliver and left.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Felicity didn't cry. She didn't let a single tear drop out of her eyes.

She had promised herself a long time before that she won't cry over him. That she won't cry because of him anymore.

She spent 04 years keeping that promise, now was not the time to break it.

She was hurt. She hurt all over her heart. But she didn't cry.

She held her chin up and left the Queen Mansion as quickly as possible. She heard Oliver coming after her, but she didn't let her steps fall. She ignored him and left.

When Felicity came home, Diggle was waiting for her. He didn't tell her anything. He helped her out of her coat and gave her a glass of wine in the hand.

When she gave him a questioning look, he said,

"Roy called."

Felicity nodded and went to look for William. He was asleep in his room. She watched him sleeping for a few minutes while sipping her wine.

Then she took a deep breath and brazed herself again.

"Thank you, Digs. I'm going to bed. Thanks for being here with him." Felicity told Diggle.

He took the message and smiled at her.

"I'll leave you to it then. Good night, Felicity." He came to her and gave her a hug and then left.

"Good night, Dig." She said to the retreating figure.

Then she went to the bathroom and readied for the bed.

Sleep didn't come to her for a long time. She re-lived the events of the night again and again in her head.

How could Oliver do that to her? Again?

What was he thinking? That she would accept a marriage proposal from him?

Oliver apologized. Yes. He did. But, none of his words came from his heart. She knew him. He was not sorry for what he did. He apologized because he felt like that was expected from him. After all the things he did, he knew that everyone expected him to apologize to Felicity. That's why he said sorry. Because he wanted his family's trust back.

And definitely he wanted William. Oliver knew she and William was a package deal. So he asked for her, because then he could have William for free.

Felicity was hurt.

She was hurt because, he thought of her as something he could use again.

She was hurt because he made her feel like cheap.

A cheap woman who slept with him and waited for him to offer her marriage in return of her silent obedience. A woman who accept all the insults he threw her way and still accept his proposal. A woman who fell at his proposal and give up her self-respect. A woman who will use a child as an excuse to marry a man.

Yes. She still loved him. But, the naïve girl who was waiting for him to love her back was long disappeared.

The innocent girl who was counting days until he would say that he loved her and pop the question, was long gone.

The girl who was dreaming to marry Oliver Queen, the man she loves was dead and buried a long time before.

Now, she didn't have any hope on that. Not a feeling, nor a single desire to become a part of his life.

She didn't wish to hear those words from his mouth any more.

…

Next morning, Felicity awoke late. She stayed in bed for another ten minutes, until she heard soft steps towards her room. And then came the knock.

"Lizzy, are you asleep? Can I come in?" William's sleepy voice reached her.

"Yes darling. You can come. The door is open." Felicity replied.

William, her beacon of light appeared at the door. She got up and held her hands towards him. He ran to her and jumped in the bed.

"I was waiting for you to come home, last night. But, I fell asleep. Why were you so late?" William asked her, while giving her a warm hug.

"The party went for a long time, champ. And I met many of my old friends there. I came home as soon as possible. Did you have a good time with Diggle?" Felicity asked him.

"Yeah, Uncle Dig helped me to build the helicopter back. I'm going to show it to Uncle Barry, when he comes again. He told me if I built it back, he would gift me the next model too."

"Oh, is that so? Then we shall ask him to ready it quickly, okay." Felicity nuzzled his hair, enjoying his baby smell.

"Was my dad at the party, Lizz? Did you meet him there?" William asked.

Felicity waited a second before answering.

"Yes, champ. Your dad was there."

"Will he come here today? I want to show him my helicopter." William pouted.

"May be he would, dear. Don't you want to show it to me?" Felicity asked him.

"Yeah I do. But I want to show it to dad first, Lizz. Can you call him and ask him to come for lunch today?" William pouted again.

Felicity couldn't say 'no' to him ever, but she didn't think after last night's incident Oliver would answer her call.

"He will be still asleep, Will. I will ask Raisa to call him after we had breakfast, okay." She answered.

"He said he awakes very early, Lizz. He will be awake now. Please call him. Please. Pretty please…" He gave her his puppy dog face.

Felicity sighed.

"Okay, Okay. Wait. I'll call him. But, if he didn't answer it, you have to wait until after breakfast. K?"

"Okay." William took her phone from the night stand and gave her.

Felicity dialed Oliver's number. William snuggled further to her warmth and she tucked her arm around him.

Oliver answered after three rings.

"Felicity…" His voice was not sleepy.

"Um.. Hello, Oliver, Good morning."

"Good morning." He was waiting for her to talk.

"Um.. William wanted to know whether you would come by here today. He says he has something to show you." William was asking her for the phone.

"Here, let me give the phone to him." Felicity gave the phone to William and left the room to bathroom.

William was still on the phone when she returned after the morning bath.

"Will, did you have your morning bath?" she asked him while drying her hair.

"Bye dad. Have to leave, now. See you soon, then." William hung up the phone and jumped down from the bed.

"Careful, champ." Felicity gasped.

"Don't worry, Lizz. I landed safely. Ooh…" Will screamed and jumped again.

"Will..!"

"Just kidding." William gave her his father's famous smirk and left the room in a beat.

"This kid is going to give me a heart attack one day." Felicity muttered to herself.

Raisa had prepared Felicity's favorites for breakfast. Upon seeing the dining table, she gave Raisa a bright smile.

"Mrs. Merlin called earlier and asked me to prepare these for you for the breakfast." Raisa said while placing her coffee cup in front of her.

Felicity's heart clenched. She remembered her days at Merlin's. Whenever Felicity had a bad day at school, Moira prepared her favorites for next day breakfast. So, she could forget the bad day and start her new day afresh.

Moira's gesture warmed Felicity's heart.

Was she doing the right thing? Felicity wondered.

Did she do the correct thing by rejecting Oliver's proposal?

Did she ruin William's chance to have a family?

Did she deny Moira and her family's right to have a relationship with William?

By thinking of herself and her dignity, did she forget William's happiness?

Felicity felt like she was spiraling inside a never-ending maze.

Suddenly she felt Raisa's hand on her shoulder. Felicity looked up at her.

"You are a good woman, Ms. Felicity. Mrs. Merlin knows that. We all know that. Even Mr. Oliver knows that. Don't waste your life regretting your choices. Everything will be alright." Raisa squeezed her shoulder and left the room.

….

When Felicity went to her office which was readying hurriedly for its opening, she was welcomed by awkward glances by her employees. Her secretary, Jerry gave her an amused looks and a cheerful greeting.

Felicity set the documents she carried on the table inside her room and asked Jerry to bring her the quotations for their advertisement projects.

Her phone rang and she answered.

"Hello"

"Hello, Lizz. Are you okay?"

It was Iris.

"Yes Iris. I'm okay. Why are you asking that?"

"Did you see today's headlines of Starling's gossips?"

"No, I didn't. You do know that I don't look into them, Iris. Why?"

"Because, it mentions you today. Something about you rejecting Oliver Queen's proposal."

Felicity felt blood leaving her face.

Frack.

She had totally forgotten media. Of course they would make it a headline. Anything related to Queens or Merlins were news here. She really didn't miss this attention in Central City.

"Lizz. Are you there? Why are you silent?"

"Iris…"

"Oh my god! It is true. Did you really reject him? Lizz?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

"Something like… never mind. Why am I hearing about it from a gossip web site? Why didn't you tell me, Lizz?"

"It happened last night, Iris. I didn't think that it would make news. It was a private thing between me and Oliver, even though he made it where so many people were present."

"I get it, Lizz. I didn't mean to pry into your privacy. I just wanted to know that you are okay. Barry is also a bit upset here. That's why I called you."

"It's okay, Iris. It's nothing. Tell Barry that."

"How is Will? Does he know?"

"No. he doesn't know. I didn't tell him anything. I don't know what his reaction will be if he got to know it."

"Don't worry, dear. It will be okay. Oh, I got to go. Dad says he misses you."

"Me too. Iris. Thank you for calling."

"Take care of yourself girl. Bye."

"Bye"

Felicity hung up the phone and took her tablet out and checked the Gossip site.

 _ **Queen rejects Russian beauty and then gets rejected by Merlin foster girl 'Smoak'.**_

 _ **The 'Mrs. Queen' seat is still vacant.**_

 _It has been reported that our beloved prodigal son of Starling city, has had a happening night yesterday._

 _As our citizens remember, 'Oliver Queen' got engaged to a Russian beauty from a very powerful business family, four years ago. And it was rumored to be broken at a family party, just before he went missing. Last night it came into light that he hadn't broken that legally, when 'Isabel Rochev', his Russian fiancé crashed a family and friends' only party which was held in Queen Mansion, to which she was not invited. Then our infamous play boy has brought the legal papers and finished the engagement once and for all._

 _It was said that there went a very verbal battle between the Russian beauty and our own spit fire 'Thea Merlin', which resulted the return of the engagement ring._

 _After the situation was calmed our prodigal son has surprised everyone by proposing to the well-known MIT genius, Merlins' foster girl, 'Felicity Smoak'. It was not a secret to the people around them that they shared a very close relationship while she was working as his secretary at QC. What astonished the writer of this article was the fact that she rejected the proposal. Felicity clearly stated that she didn't want to be the new 'Mrs. Queen' and left the party quickly._

 _It was seen that Queen Heir spent the rest of his night drowning in vodka and being surrounded by his two step-siblings._

Felicity closed the article and sighed. People were talking. They were gossiping about her and her family for a long time. This was not a new thing to her.

But, what hurt was that Oliver had set the stage for this one. He really was an ignorant idiot.

She returned to her work.

….

Next few days went uneventfully. Oliver visited William every morning after Felicity left for the company. And he left her home before she came home.

The situation of Starling city was different. The 'Hooded guy' had made his appearance again. This time he had attacked a business man named 'Adam Hunt' and the attack has taken place near the place where Tommy had organized a 'welcome back Bash' for Oliver.

When she got to know about the attack, Felicity had called Tommy and he assured her that everyone including himself and Oliver were okay.

Then the hooded man had attacked Marcus Redman, and made him return the pension money he had stolen from the city.

Felicity was intrigued. This man was a mystery. And she hated mysteries.

She had the urge to look into him. But, she reminded herself that now she was a mother of a little boy who depended on her. She can't put herself into such risk, how much appealing the mystery was.

The sixteen year old hacker girl who occasionally helped the SCPD, or the 'Oracle' who had connected with SCPD and helped eradicating the criminals of Starling city, wanted to reveal this man. But the mature woman, the mother in her chose to stay out of it.

Then Oliver's legal resurrection took place. Tommy attended that and Thea visited Felicity at the office and they spent the evening in shopping.

Next morning they saw in News that another business man in the city, Martin Summers had been attacked by the city vigilante.

Diggle had called her and asked to send Roy to stay at her home. Felicity brushed away his concerns about their safety. She was not a millionaire neither a business woman who wronged the people in the city. Why would she have to be upset?

In their conversation Diggle had revealed that he was frustrated with Oliver because he was ditching Diggle over and over. And when Moira had asked Oliver about his nightly escapades, he had told her that he was seeing someone.

Felicity was not surprised. She knew Oliver well. He tends to go defensive when he was hurt.

And women were always his defense.

He was definitely hurt and hiding behind his old playboy persona again.

She was not worried.

But Oliver's careless behavior was making Diggle's job difficult.

Yet, by Diggle's talk Felicity got the feeling like Diggle had some sympathy for his troubling employer.

Apparently no one was immune to Oliver Queen charm.

…

Next day Thea called Felicity. She had tried to talk with Oliver about what happened to him on that island and Oliver had said that he was not ready to talk. Thea was upset. She desperately wanted to him to be open up with her.

Felicity advised Thea to be patient. May be Oliver had nothing good to share about that time. They had to give him space.

After a long talk, Thea was finally calmed down.

When Thea hung up, Felicity leaned on her chair.

She felt drained.

She was tired.

She was tired of being the sensible one.

She was fed up with keeping her head up, when everything around her was falling.

She was tired of being strong for everyone around her.

….

The QC was opening a new Applied Science center and Oliver was appointed as the VP again.

They had organized a party celebrating their success and Felicity was invited. She thought about it thoroughly and after one call from Moira she decided to attend it.

And here she was, again, at the Queen Mansion.

The night went Okay. People gave Felicity weird looks, which she brushed off.

Tommy and Laurel were there. Thea and Roy were there. Moira and Malcom were there.

Oliver was there.

She congratulated Moira and spent most of her time talking with Mr. Steel.

Felicity saw Oliver looking at her several times.

Hell, she felt his staring most of the time across the hall.

Yet, she tried her best to be nonchalant.

The party was coming to an end and Felicity readied to leave. She went to the washroom and adjusted her appearance. She just had to talk to Moira and leave the Mansion as soon as possible.

Then she came out of the washroom and directly collided with a wall.

Well, a well-built muscle wall.

She stumbled and the wall caught her. She looked up.

Oliver.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see… Oliver… What are you doing here?"

Felicity fumbled.

"Felicity… I wanted to ask you something." Oliver replied.

"Then, it's too bad because I'm just leaving now." She tried to get out of the situation. But he was gripping her hand, again.

"You aren't leaving until you answer my question, Felicity." He growled.

"Oliver, cut the crap. You are going to make a scene again."

"Okay. Let's go to somewhere else and talk." Oliver all but dragged her towards their library. Having lived there most of her teenage, it was a usual place to her.

"Stop with your caveman attitudes, Oliver. Why are you doing this? Just let it go. Grow up." Felicity was close to using her loud voice.

"I just want to ask you something." He was angry. She could sense that.

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Why did you reject me?"

Felicity huffed in annoyance.

"Is that something to ask?"

"Yes. I want to know the reason for your rejection. I have already apologized to you. And we were used to be close. You yourself told me that you love me, Damn it. So why did you reject me, when I proposed to you?" Oliver was in her personal space. His warm breath on her face. His intense eyes boring into hers.

"I don't have to answer you." Felicity tried to step back. But Oliver took another step and she was suddenly trapped between him and a book shelf.

"No, you have to. Tell me Felicity. Why did you reject me? Why did you hurt my feelings?"

"Because of this." she replied.

Oliver took a step back.

"Because of this." She repeated.

Oliver was staring at her, mouth agape.

"Because, no one rejects you. You, Oliver Queen, the mighty Queen Heir gets anything he ever wanted. That's why I rejected you." Felicity spat.

"But, you said you loved me." Oliver whispered, as if he couldn't believe her answer.

"I did. Past tense, Queen. I did." Felicity was trembling.

"I said I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did, Felicity. I know I hurt you. Why can't you forgive me and forget those? Why can't we go back to where we were before all this happened?"

Felicity sighed. She was calm, when she replied him.

"We can't go back, Oliver. Nothing can be taken back to where they were. Not by your apologies. I forgive you Oliver. I already did. But I can't forget what you did. You played me and my emotions. I can't take that risk again."

"But… I'm not that man anymore." He said.

"And I'm not that woman anymore." She returned.

Oliver was silent.

"I'm not that naïve girl anymore, Oliver. Yes. There was a time that I was waiting for you to return my feelings. There was a time I wanted to be a part of your life. But, not anymore. I'm not that girl anymore, who wished to hear those three words from you. I have moved on, Oliver. It's time that you also do the same." Felicity said.

"What about William, Felicity? We have a son. We have to give him a family." Oliver said.

"He already has a family. A very big family. Queen-Smoak-Merlin family. Along with so many people who love him. We don't have to get married for him."

"But, I want to marry you. I want that family. I like you, Felicity."

"But, It's not enough Oliver. A marriage should be built on love and trust. You don't love me and I don't trust you. We are a disaster waiting to happen."

"So give me another chance." Oliver snapped.

"I can't Oliver. This is not a game. This is my life. I can't trust you again with my heart. I lost it once. I don't think I would ever be able to trust anyone with my heart again. I don't want to be another Donna Smoak." Felicity hated being put into this position. She had seen her mother losing it. Donna Smoak was betrayed by the man she loved. Felicity was already being there. She didn't want to go there for the second time.

Oliver stared at her for a long time. Then he nodded and stepped back.

"I understand. I lost you for good."

Felicity tried to stop her heart breaking again. But, Oliver was looking devastated. His eyes were pained and wet.

Her own eyes were wet. She closed her eyes and felt tears flowing through her lashes.

After 04 years she was letting her tears to flow.

Felicity opened her eyes and saw that Oliver had turned her back. She went to him and touched his shoulder.

"We can't take back what we did, Oliver. But, we can be good parents to that little boy. You can be a good father to William. I know that. We can't go back there but we can start anew. Being his parents."

Oliver sighed.

"I'm really sorry that I hurt you, Felicity."

"I know." She turned to leave the library.

"Felicity" He called her at the door. She stopped and looked back.

"Thank you for being there for my son." Oliver said.

She gave him a soft smile and left.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Oliver was thinking seriously about his 'to do' list.

He had so many things to resolve. So many things to finish.

First, he has to decide what he was going to do with his son. He couldn't give up William. No. he would never do that. May be he thought about that for a bit before he met his son. But, after meeting him, it was out of question. He wanted to be a father to that little boy. A father who cares, a father who loves, a father who stays.

Oliver wanted it badly.

He wanted to be the father he never had. He didn't want to abandon his son. And it was time that some of the parents' responsibilities taken away from Felicity. She has had enough. He wanted to share those responsibilities with her.

Talking about Felicity, Oliver has to decide about how he should approach her.

Now the marriage matter between them is talked, analyzed and finished, Oliver had to decide what to do next.

He knew that the path they were taking is very narrow. They were always walking on eggshells around each other. He wanted that to change. He wanted to go back to the comfortableness which they had before he messed up everything.

And what about his other 'persona'?

He wanted to do what his father asked of him. He wanted to clean the city and save the city. But after several missions on his own, Oliver has realized that this was very difficult to achieve alone. There was too much at risk.

And Diggle was already suspecting him of a foul act.

Oliver didn't have the technological knowledge to go further.

He terribly needed someone on whom he can rely on, in a mission.

If he ended up injured in some dark alley, the only thing he could do was to try his best to return to his foundry without bleeding until death.

Oliver was in serious trouble.

…

A week after the party at Queen Mansion, Oliver was down in the 'Verdent', Tommy's club with Diggle tagging along with him. Before Oliver's trip to china, Tommy has asked Oliver to be a part of the business, but Oliver was not much interested. But, now he was thinking differently. If he was to be a partner of Tommy's club, it will be a great cover for his night time activities. No one would suspect him for going out and missing in the night.

Oliver came here to discuss the partnership with Tommy.

Tommy was at his office, which was situated at the upper floor.

"Hi, can I come in?"

Oliver knocked the door and entered. Diggle remained at the corridor.

"You are already in, Queen. So why trying to break my door?" Tommy stood up from his chair and came forward.

"I wanted to warn you before entering. Who knows if there's a beautiful girl inside with you." Oliver said smirking.

"Those happy days are over, Ollie. Now I'm fully committed to one girl and at the risk of getting legally assaulted if I ever cheated on her." Tommy replied.

"I thought I would never see the day you committing to someone, Tommy."

"That makes us two." Tommy sat on the couch.

Oliver took the chair near the window.

"So, why my best friend take interest in showing up here?" Tommy asked.

"I wanted to know whether your offer for a partnership for this club is still available." Oliver told him.

"Oh, yeah. It is always available for you, Ollie. But, may I know why you are suddenly interested in this?" Tommy's gaze was intense, as if he wanted to see Oliver through.

"Urrrm… well… I want to do something aside from QC?" Oliver stuttered.

Tommy gave him an apprehensive look.

"Or, you would want to do something that could give a cover to your night time activities?"

Oliver didn't know what hit him first. The calculating stare and the grave voice of Tommy, or the words that came out of his mouth.

Oliver blinked twice.

Then he swallowed the lump in his throat and asked,

"What activities are you…." and was interrupted.

"Oh, cut the crap, Oliver. I know what you are doing, who you are. You can lie to Moira and the others, but not to me. I know you too well."

"Well… I don't know…" Oliver was not sure whether Tommy actually knew what he was doing or, was talking about something totally different.

Tommy came towards Oliver and put his hands on either side of Oliver's chair and whispered to Oliver.

"I know what you are doing in a green hood, Oliver."

Oliver knew he looked like a trapped rat. Hell! He felt like a trapped rat.

And Tommy chuckled.

"You actually thought you can hide that from me?"

Oliver sighed.

"Tommy…"

"After you went missing, I tried my best to find you. Along with Diggle's help I managed to find a lot of things you hid from us, Ollie. Things like you being in Bratva."

Oliver didn't know what to tell anymore. So he stayed silent.

"I was shocked, I must say. But not much as shocked to know that you were the new bratva captain here, that Felicity was looking for. I was shocked because, Felicity couldn't reveal you."

At the mention of Felicity's name, Oliver could feel cold seeping in to his spine. No, he didn't want to go there.

"Then I thought to myself, that that was impossible. Felicity is a genius. There was no way that she wouldn't find out about your little secret, unless she already did and decided to not to tell us."

Oliver opened his mouth to deny, but was stopped by Tommy's hand gesture of 'Do not interrupt'.

"Don't try to deny it, Ollie. I already asked her and she admitted to it." Oliver was stunned.

"After you came back, I thought of confronting you a several times, but I didn't have the chance. Then we got kidnapped and the 'hood guy' made an appearance. I was not in my most somber state of mind Oliver, but I was 100% sure that I saw YOU fighting with them."

Oliver looked away, knowing that now there was no chance of denying anything.

"I didn't tell anything to SCPD and I listened to your description of the hood guy. I waited because I wanted to see where you were getting with this. Then again you asked me to organize a party where Adam Hunt was attacked. Then you and I heard Laurel talking with her friend about that 'Marcus guy' stealing public money and next thing I know is that he is too attacked by the vigilante."

Tommy gave another chuckle and continued.

"And guess how much surprised I was, when I understood that all these people who you killed were your father's close associates and somehow involved in his murder too. Yeah, I and Diggle looked into your father's murder case. They were involved but there are no distinct proofs to confirm that."

"Tommy, I…"

"You don't have to give any explanation Oliver, not to me. But I want to know what happened. How did you turned into a killer? Why? And what is your intention? What do you want to prove by doing this? Most of all what happened to you at that island?"

Oliver took a heavy breath and calmed down himself. He never expected Tommy to be this much sensible. He thought that Tommy would freak out. That he would run away. But Oliver didn't expect this.

Tommy was calm and looking into his eyes expectantly.

"We messed up. Big time."

Oliver suddenly said.

"We… as..?"

"Me and my dad. We were in a bad place. Dad was in a very powerful position in Bratva. Yet he did the unforgivable mistake of betrayal. He was working with other mob gangs and corrupted businessmen in Starling. He betrayed Bratva. He expected to have Rochevs' support by my marriage to Isabel. I didn't know about his plans and I broke up with Isabel. I thought that he was insisting on me marrying Isabel, because he wanted more power. But, apparently a lot of things other than power were at risk, such as our lives."

Oliver took a breath, and continued.

"Dad was livid when he got to know what I had done. He cursed me. He accused me of putting him at the line. I was angry too. We had a huge raw and I left home. Even though I was so angry at him, I wanted to get both of us from this mess. But for that I wanted a lot more information on the Bratva and other mob gangs. I wanted to know their weak points so I could bargain on something. And I needed a trustworthy ally, who could provide me that without exposing me. So I tried to contact the only person whom I knew to be that."

"Felicity." It was not a question, rather a statement from Tommy.

"Yeah. She was my only hope. And I tried to contact her on my own. I failed. Then I went to Thea and I begged her asking for Felicity's contacts. But Thea refused to help me. I couldn't tell her truth. Finally I did the only thing I could do; I got into that boat to go to China. The Chinese mob was our last resort. If they turned their back on my father, that was his end. And you and I both know how it turned out. They killed my father."

Oliver sighed and put his head on his hands.

"But that doesn't explain what you are doing, Ollie." Tommy said.

Oliver raised his head and looked straightly to Tommy's eyes. Tommy was calm and collected, and was listening intently to Oliver. There wasn't judgment in his eyes.

Oliver started again.

"The day the boat was wrecked, my dad called me through my satellite phone. It was decided by both of us that we are not to be contacted with each other unless it was a matter of life and death. Yet he called and I understood that this may be the last time I spoke to him, not because I had any hunch that our boat will go down that day, rather I thought it was my dad's last day. The first thing he told me was that he was sorry. He was sorry that he put me in this position."

Oliver took a heavy breath and continued.

"He said that he had promised mom that he wouldn't drag me into his dangerous work, yet he did. So he was sorry. He said he did wrongs to the people who were close to him and hurt the people who loved him. So he was sorry. He said he regret the decisions he took in life to achieve power, which made him fall in eyes of his loved ones. He said he betrayed Bratva, and he was working with many criminals in the city and around the world, that now even he can't change the consequences of his doings. He said the Starling city is in a severe danger, there are some people who wanted the city to fall. And my dad had helped them. He wanted me to save the city. He wanted me to protect the people in this city because he had failed this city."

Oliver finished.

"So, you started hunting down criminals just after you came back? It doesn't make any sense Ollie. You are not saving the city; instead you are putting it in more danger. The criminals get encouraged by your work. They think that we have a right to defy law, if we don't like how the things going. It's not the right path. And you are correcting your dad's wrongs by being a killer yourself! How on earth is that right? It is not right Ollie. You have to find another way."

"But there is no other way, Tommy. These criminals don't understand any other way."

Oliver protested.

"But, you understand. You don't have to kill them. You can handover them to SCPD, or law."

"And they will get through the loop holes and be on their merry way in no time." Oliver snapped.

"Then make sure that they don't get away. Make a stable front. Provide solid proofs. That's how Felicity does. That's how she worked with Police. We can help you." Tommy snapped back.

Oliver looked surprised.

"What? You think we will let you continue this crusade, just like that?" Tommy asked Oliver with a smug look.

"I don't want any of you near this crusade, Tommy." Oliver growled.

Tommy was not affected at all.

"Oh, cut the crap, Oliver. If you continue like this, soon we will find you bled to death in a dark alley. You need help. You need tech support and you need back up. Most of all you need someone to pull your head up from the place where it is stuck and to give you a kick in the ass once in a while."

"I am not changing my decision." Oliver said getting up from his seat.

"Think of it Ollie. And by the way, this discussion is not finished. We still didn't get to the part what happened to you in that island and how you become a killer who is running around the city in tight leather pants carrying a bow." Tommy said.

"They are not that tight." Oliver replied.

"and I want to know why the hell you took Sara with you on that damned cruise, I mean it would have made sense at least you invited me." Tommy gave him his famous Tommy Merlin egostical look.

"As much as I'm sorry that I took Sara with me, I 'm so releived that I didn't invite you for that, Tommy." Oliver replied with a sigh.

Tommy nodded in understanding.

"Would I t upset you if I went to see Laurel today? I want to talk to her. I think that after all the things happened last few days; maybe she is a bit cooled down."

Oliver asked Tommy.

"I also think that, she is a bit calmed down now. So, go visit her and please don't make her angry again. Because then it would be me again suffering." Tommy gave Oliver a pat in the shoulder.

"And take a tub of ice cream with you. That always works." Tommy advised again.

"Thanks." Oliver muttered while giving Tommy a hug. And he turned the door knob to leave.

"Just think about what I said Ollie. My offer still stands." Both Tommy and Oliver knew that this time, Tommy wasn't talking about the club.

Oliver didn't reply. He made through the door and saw Diggle standing near the door outside and left the club with him.

To Laurel's.

…..

Next morning Oliver was driving to Felicity's. He has given Diggle a holiday as a token of appreciation for yesterday's bravery. Of course Diggle refused it but Oliver was very insistent. And he told Diggle that he was spending the day at Felicity's.

Yesterday evening was like an episode from an action movie.

He had shown up at Laurel's place with an ice cream tub in hand. Laurel was not very happy about his presence at first but she invited him inside and listened to his apologies patiently this time. And at the end of the conversation she was sharing the ice cream he brought with him and they were okay after nearly five years. Oliver was happy at the turning of the events. Laurel was his oldest friend in Starling city except for Tommy. They went through several rough patches yet they never hated each other until the trip to China.

Oliver was not sure that they would be able to come back from Sara's death.

Then Oliver heard a noise. A slight creak. Yet he heard it. Oliver only had time to yell Laurel to get down.

A Chinese gangster, China white was present in Laurel's living room. Everything was a blur. Diggle broke in to the room, along with the two policemen who were at Laurel's door. There were shots taken. Oliver threw Laurel on the floor and covered her. Diggle was fighting with another gangster. When Diggle's life was endangered at one moment, Oliver threw a knife at the gangster. And after a few minutes SCPD arrived and finished the fight. Yet china white had escaped.

Then Oliver had to face very angry Captain Lance. He threatened Oliver to not to come near his daughter again. Oliver took off after that.

Even though the night didn't go as he planned, Oliver was happy. He had come to an understanding with Laurel. They were not friends, but not enemies any more. That was very important to the happiness of his family, because in near future, Laurel is going to be his sister-in-law, and Oliver wanted to start their relationship without past mistakes hanging over their heads.

He was at Felicity's door and he knocked expecting Raisa to open the door as usual. Yet when the door was opened it was Felicity behind the door.

"Hi, Rai… Felicity…" Oliver changed the greeting when he saw it was Felicity.

"Hi" Felicity left the door to be closed by him and went inside, without giving him her usual warm smile.

"Where is Raisa?" Oliver asked following her to the living room.

"She took a three day vacation. Her niece is visiting central city ad Raisa wanted to spend some time with her." She replied without even giving him a glance.

Oliver sensed that something was wrong. Felicity was okay with him for last few days. Today she was upset over something. He could definitely see that. So he moved carefully on thin ice.

"Where is William?" Oliver asked in a guarded voice, giving Felicity a carefully covered look.

"He didn't wake up yet." Felicity's answer surprised him Oliver knew that William was an early-riser like he himself.

"Still? It's late." Oliver said.

"He went to bed late last night." Felicity returned. She went to kitchen and Oliver followed her there.

"Why did he go to bed late? You are not supposed to let him stay late at nights, Felicity." As soon as the words left his lips Oliver knew he crossed a red line.

Felicity turned round at him like a bullet. Her eyes blazing with anger.

"What did you say? You don't have any say on what I supposed to do or not supposed to do with my son, Oliver. Don't you dare implore otherwise."

Felicity's words made him angry. Even though he had promised himself over and over to be patient with Felicity, she always managed to step on his toes.

"He is my son too, Felicity. I always have a say in his life. You can't deny my rights, just because you adopted him."

"If you want your right as his father, act as his father, Oliver. He was awake last night because he saw you on TV again in news of a mob fight. He was so upset. I tried to call you through the night but your phone was off. Every time we put the TV on, your face is there, always in a dangerous situation. William got his dad back from death few days ago, and since then his dad was kidnapped, was in a party at a crime scene and then at a mob fight, at Laurel's place for that."

Felicity was spatting words in a low voice. Mostly for the benefit of the sleeping child in the next room.

"I didn't get kidnapped by my choice, Felicity. And I was at a party that day. I didn't know about the crime. And what do you mean by that last sentence? At Laurel's place? What difference does it make that where I was at the time?"

Oliver asked with the same hushed but angry voice.

"William doesn't like Laurel. He was upset because he thought you were in danger because of her." Felicity replied.

Oliver huffed.

"What rubbish? Why would William think like that, unless you put something like that in his head?"

"Excuse me. I didn't put anything in his head Oliver. Laurel hates William. She made sure that he knows that even at the very first and only time she met him." Felicity's voice was rising.

"Laurel isn't like that. I was there last night with her. She didn't even mention him." Oliver defended Laurel.

"Exactly. She pretends like he doesn't even exist. That way it is easy for her to keep her head cool. But that is not the point here Oliver."

"Yeah, the point is that you making a simple thing difficult, Felicity. Yes I was at Laurel's at last night. Why I went there, is mine and Laurel's business. Not yours. Why do you even care, where I go? Is that jealousy I'm sensing? " Oliver asked with a raised brow.

"Huh, in your dreams, Queen. I don't care where you go and what you do with whom, Oliver. But I do care if my child's father put himself in the middle of a mob war. I care if you not answer the phone when I call you at night, when your son needs to assure himself that his dad is safe. I care if you went to Tommy's fiancé's place and again mess up the things between them." Felicity sounded tired.

She sat on the kitchen stool.

Oliver wanted to tell her that Tommy knew that he went there. But he wanted to know whether she is affected by his visit to Laurel's. Did she care for him?

"I didn't go there to sleep with her, Felicity. But I want to remind you the fact that if you would have said 'yes' to me when I asked you to marry me, instead of humiliating me in front of my family, it would be to you that I return to every night, to here, to William. Then you wouldn't have to call me at night to assure William. I would have been at his side every night." Oliver knew it was a low blow. But he didn't care. He wanted to prove his point.

Felicity looked shocked. She opened her mouth to reply and closed it again. Oliver stared at her blue eyes trying to decipher the looks that crossed her face.

"You said 'no' to him?"

They both snapped out of their conversation at the sound of the little boy. William was frowning at Felicity.

"Good morning, Will." Oliver greeted him but was ignored by the child. William was staring at Felicity.

"You don't want to marry my father?" William asked again.

Felicity looked stunned with the confrontation.

"Will…" she started.

"You don't want me to have family?" William was having no excuses.

"William." This time it was Oliver.

"You don't want to be my mom, Lizz?" William asked again.

"I am your mother, Will." Felicity managed to reply. But her voice was broken.

"No, you are not. You adopted me, Lizz. But you are not really my mom. But, if you marry my dad, you would be my mom. So don't you want to be my mom anymore?"

Oliver could see that the boy's words broke Felicity. What ever happened between them Felicity didn't deserve this.

"Will, she is your mother, no matter what happens. She always will be. Just as I'm your father."

"No, she doesn't want me anymore. She doesn't love me anymore." William yelled.

"Will.." Felicity tried to talk.

"No, I want both my mom and dad with me. I want a family. You don't want me to have a family. You will leave me to him and you will start a family without me. I know that. You are going to leave me too." William was hysterical.

Felicity shook her head in denial, her eyes were wet now. Oliver stood there stunned.

"I love you Will. I will never leave you. I promise. But I can't marry your dad. I'm sorry." She said in a trembling voice.

But William was not going to settle.

"No. you don't love me. If you don't want me, I don't want you either. I don't love you. I hate you. You are not my mother." William was both crying and screaming.

Felicity visibly flinched with his words.

"William." Oliver tried to stop the child and to hold him. But was unsuccessful.

"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." William screamed and got out of Oliver's hands and ran towards his room crying.

Oliver stood there staring at the running boy stunned and turned to see Felicity breaking down little by little.

It was like slow motion.

Her face was paled. Eyes full of tears. She was in a shocked state. Then at once she was going to fall. Oliver took a step forward and stopped when she held her hand out. She leaned to the wall and her other hand came up and she closed her mouth with it. She was trying her best to not break down in front of him. Then she turned around and fled to her room.

Oliver didn't know what to do. Should he go after his son or Felicity?

He chose his son. Felicity needed space. He knew that from experience. And he had to tell some things to William.

William was crouched in to a ball in his bed. He was crying. When Oliver entered the kid's room William turned his back on him.

Oliver sat down on the edge of the bed and caressed the child's head.

"Do you know that I met your mother, Felicity five years ago?" Oliver asked. He didn't expect an answer. But he knew the child was listening.

"She was only 19 then. When we first met, we didn't like each other. I insulted her and she returned the favor." Oliver chuckled.

"Then I had to work with her. She was my assistant at my office. We fought a lot. Yet we were good for each other. She was my right hand. As time went by we grew close. We became friends. She was very special to me. She was my partner. Then we became very close and she said me that she loves me."

William turned his head towards Oliver. He had stopped crying. So Oliver continued.

"I was scared. I didn't love her. And I didn't want to marry her or anyone for that matter. So I did a very stupid thing. I rejected her love. I insulted her. I hurt her badly. I forgot that she was my friend first. I hurt her again and again. She tried to stay away from me, but I went after her and humiliated her. When it was too much, she left me. She left her home. To central city. That's when I understood what I did. I hurt my friend, not by not loving her, but by not being her friend. I broke her trust. And even after I understood my fault, I was a coward. I didn't go after her and apologize. I chose to not say sorry." Oliver sighed. William was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Then I got lost in that island and I lost my chance to say sorry. When I came back after nearly 04 years, I was impatient to meet her and apologize for what I did. But, that was when I learned about you. When I got to know that she raised you, I was shocked. I wouldn't have done that for a person who hurt me that much. But, Felicity raised you as her own son. She loved you without any restriction. Even after me, your dad hurt her so much she loved you enough to give you a home, William. And she didn't even deny my rights on you. She could if she wanted."

Oliver stopped and looked at his son. He wanted William to take this in to his heart,

"I apologized to her. But I was 04 years late. Of course she didn't hold a grudge; her love for you showed me that. But it is very hard to forgive a person who played with your heart William. She is right to not wanting to marry me. How could she marry me, when I had already rejected her once? How can she give me her heart when I had already had crushed it under my foot? It's not that she doesn't want to be your mother. She is already your mother, Will. And she always will be. Even if she marries someone other than me and has other children, you will be her first child; always. It's that it takes time to forgive someone who broke your heart. We have to give her space and time. If I proved to her that I'm not that person who hurt her anymore, she will forgive me and accept me into her life. But, we have to wait, son."

William sniffled. "I'm sorry, dad."

"I think it's not me you owe an apology, Will." Oliver kissed his son's hair and got up.

"You and I are very lucky to have her in our life. And it's good to not wait for 04 years to say sorry." Oliver left the room with that.

He went towards Felicity's room. The door to her room wasn't closed. Yet he didn't enter the room, but stayed at the door, leaning to the doorframe.

Felicity was sitting on the edge of the bed. She had stopped sobbing. She was staring into nowhere. Her shoulders shook though. There were very visible two streaks of tears along her cheeks.

Oliver felt his heart clenching. When he came here he didn't think the day would be going like this. He knew that their marriage situation or the news of no-marriage should be explained to William carefully.

When they fought in the morning, he didn't expect his son to listen. He rather wanted to make Felicity regret the decision to reject him. As all of his well laid plans it had also went out of hand.

Oliver heard the soft footsteps. Then felt soft hands wrapping around his legs. He looked down to his son who was staring into the room just like him.

A shiver went up on Felicity's body and she tightly clutched the bed sheet in her hands as another sob came through. William released Oliver's leg and ran towards his mother.

"Mommy… I'm sorry"

Felicity raised her head and looked surprising at him through her tear filled eyes. The child threw himself at her and wrapped his arms around her neck. She managed to hold him secured.

"I'm sorry, mommy. For hurting you. I will never do that again. I love you. I love you so much. Please forgive me. Please don't leave me." The little boy was crying and muttering the words to her neck.

Felicity didn't say anything but, held him close to her heart.

William broke the contact and stared to her eyes.

"Please tell me you forgive me, mommy. I'm really sorry. Please don't leave me." He said again.

Felicity managed a small smile.

"No. Will. I will never leave you. And I forgive you. Don't worry." She kissed his tear streaked cheeks and hugged him again.

Oliver watched the interaction between the mother and the child. He wanted to go there. He wanted to wrap his arms around them. He wanted to encircle his world by his body. Yes, they were his world. His own world. His son and his Felicity.

'His Felicity?' where did that come from?

Just then her ocean blue eyes met his over their son's head. He saw the acknowledgement in her eyes. she closed her eye lids once and said silently that she appreciated what he did, even though she didn't know what he did.

Oliver nodded once and turned around to leave the house to give some space to the two most important people in his life.

He knew that the mother and son would forget all about the fight over a tub of mint chip chocolate ice cream.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Felicity put the news on. The anchor was describing another death of a corrupted businessman in the city. James Holder. But this murder was a bit different. This time the death was not caused by an arrow, but a gun.

That is not 'Arrow's style, to use guns. There may be some other criminals who were taking free reins in the 'Arrow's shadow. Felicity thought to herself. Yes, now she was calling the 'hood guy' as 'Arrow', just like all the other citizens in the Starling city.

Then the news anchor changed the story to gossip segment and suddenly Oliver's face was there. Felicity was concerned. Of course, what they have to gossip about him now? It's like the media of Starling city had a separate unit to report Oliver's movements.

Oliver and Tommy had been into a fight at the new club opened by 'Max Fuller', last night.

Felicity remembered Max very well. He was not a friend Oliver. He was once, but that friendship has gone to the gutter after Oliver had slept with Max's fiancé at their wedding rehearsal dinner. That incident did not go to newspapers, but Felicity knew it to be true, because she was there at that dinner and she remembered the pain she felt when she saw Oliver with that woman heading to a room. That was right after her break up with Oliver.

She came back from the flash back and tried to listen to the news.

It said that the fight was resolved quickly. And Laurel also had been there. Of course gorgeous Laurel is everywhere.

What is with Oliver and the fights?

She had fought with Oliver two days ago, about him getting himself into dangerous situations and now he had been in a fight again.

Felicity was relieved that William is in the kitchen with Raisa. If he had seen this, she would have to call Oliver again to assure William that his dad is safe and okay.

Felicity decided that she wouldn't talk about that with him anymore. She was so not going to argue about this with him again.

He was right that day. What he did with Laurel or anybody else for that matter, was certainly not her business.

She turned off the TV and decided that she would not ever turn on that before checking the internet for news on Oliver.

…..

Felicity was working late at her office. She had called home and informed Raisa that she will be late. William was making fuss over the phone. She promised him that she will be spending next day with him at home.

"This is why I hate being the boss of my own company. I can't have even one night spared of work. I hope William doesn't make much fuss at going to sleep. He hates it when I'm not there to read his night time story." Felicity muttered to herself.

"And Felicity, for the love of Google, stop talking to yourself." She smacked her head and turned to the file rack to take one out.

Suddenly the lights went off and she felt like someone watching her. She turned back and was shocked to see a man wearing a hood standing in front of her desk. He was standing in the shadows. His face was covered to her.

"Felicity Smoak…"

"I haven't failed the city."

She blurted.

'The Arrow' was silent, as if she had taken him surprised, not the other way around.

"Okay. Now you have stunned 'The Arrow' with your unstoppable mouth. It's a personal record, Felicity. You have done what the SCPD couldn't do." She muttered to herself again.

"Ms. Smoak,…" The Arrow started.

"Why are you going to kill me? I mean, as I have already mentioned you, I haven't failed this city. I'm not a criminal, neither a one presenter in this city. Though I personally believe that you are going after criminals, rather the rich people in here. More like rich people who are criminals. Like you are going through a list. I'm not implying that you have a list of criminals with you. But coming back to the point again, why are you after me? I have never hurt anybody intentionally. May be I have done something illegal in past. But as I mentioned it was past. And actually I may have helped the city by doing that. And the SCPD. Oh, that's why you are here. Aren't you? Because I helped SCPD. Are you against them? but, I have…"

"Felicity."

Arrow interrupted her long babble. Felicity shut the mouth at once. Opened her mouth again and shut it again, like a fish trying to breath.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked from the Arrow in a trembling voice.

"No, Ms. Smoak. I need your help." The Arrow answered.

Felicity let out a breath.

"What do you want from me?"

The Arrow took a step forward and Felicity stepped back. He took a laptop which was in his hand and hidden by the darkness in the room.

"I want you to check this and see whether you can salvage anything from It." he replied.

Felicity took the laptop and looked at it. It had five bullet holes on it.

"If I helped you, would you leave me alone? I can't get involved at something like this." Felicity asked from the man in front of her.

"Why, Ms. Smoak? I had the impression that you are a brave one. You didn't hesitate to help the SCPD to put out criminals before. Are you afraid of me?"

The Arrow's words had a tint of amusement in it and Felicity felt like that the voice was somewhat familiar. His voice was muffled by a mask he was wearing but, it felt like she knew him.

"No, I'm not afraid of you. And Yes, I have helped the SCPD before. But, it was four years back and I was alone. Now I'm not. I have a little boy to take care of. I can't risk my life by helping you." She replied.

There was a change in the demeanor of the Arrow. As if he was suddenly aware of her words. He took a step back.

"This will be the one and only time I ask for your assistance, Ms. Smoak. I'll be here at this time tomorrow. Is that enough time for you?" He asked.

"Yeah." She said.

"Okay." The Arrow turned and went out through her door.

Felicity was shocked. She stayed there for a few seconds and suddenly as if woken up from sleep, she walked towards her door and stepped out to the corridor. She looked around and was disappointed of seeing the vigilante was nowhere to be found.

….

The next night, Felicity had finished his job. After spending her whole day with William, she had come to the office at 7 p.m. just for this.

Her waiting was over when the light went out again.

She stood from her seat and stepped toward the vigilante who appeared through her door.

"Ms. Smoak…"

"How dare you try to fool me, Oliver!"

The mighty Arrow flinched at her fury.

"I'm not…"

"Don't waste your words mister. I already feel like killing you. Don't tempt me anymore." Felicity stood in front of him and pulled his mask down revealing his handsome face.

"Felicity…"

"How dare you put yourself into danger again, Oliver? After all the things we went through… How could you?"

Her voice broke at the end. And she was engulfed in his arms.

"Felicity…" He didn't say anything except her name. He just held her, until she was calmed down.

When she realized her position, she took a step back, out of his arms and looked at his face.

Oliver Queen, the man she loved for so long that his face was engraved in her eyes, was standing in front of her. In a green color hood.

Oliver was staring at her, his blue eyes intense with emotions that she couldn't decipher.

"How did you figure out?" Finally he asked.

"Your voice. I had a feeling that I knew it, even though you tried to change it. I knew the way you said my name, when you tried to stop my babblings. I had suspicions on 'The Arrow', and the time of his appearances before. When I went home yesterday, I couldn't put the thought out of my mind that I knew the way you held yourself. Then, there is an exact replica of you at my home. William always stands just like you. I just put one to one together and 'BAM', you were there."

Felicity saw his lips turn upward slightly.

"You hate mysteries." Oliver said. His eyes were soft now.

"Yeah, I do." She returned.

Oliver took another step back and cleared his throat.

"So, what did you find from that laptop?" he asked.

Felicity went to her desk and started her computer which had already connected to the laptop. Then she went to her working mode and Oliver set his bow aside, sat on her desk and listened to her. It was just like those days, when she was his assistant. Oliver used to come to her cubicle and sat on her desk and listen to her as she went through his files and contracts. Only then he was wearing suits not leather pants.

He listened to her intently as she went through the details of the blue prints of the exchange building where the auction of the Unidac industries was to be held.

"Why are you interested in this?" she turned her upward and asked Oliver.

"I got this laptop from a murderer who was going after some businessmen."

"Is he the one who shot that corrupted businessman?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I thought so. I found it strange that the Arrow suddenly turning to use guns." She said.

"You took this very calmly than I would have expected you to." Oliver said.

Felicity shrugged.

"It all makes sense now. Your sudden disappearances and your fake appearances. And I had a few hours to process all the facts. It's just that I don't understand your intentions."

"I thought you would be mad at me if you knew I was the vigilante."

"Oh, believe me Oliver, I'm mad. But I think you'll have a good reason for this. and how can I judge you for eradicating criminals from this city when I have done the same thing in past? Our methods are different, but the result was same." Felicity said.

"Shall we discuss it after this auction? It's rather a long story." Oliver asked her.

"Hmm… all the interesting stories are long. Okay then, we will discuss it after the auction. But, you do understand that this can't be done single handedly. You have to have help."

Oliver slipped back to the floor.

"Are you going home now? The auction is at tomorrow night. I will come to see you tomorrow morning. Will you be home or here?" Oliver asked from Felicity, turning his back to her.

Felicity got out of the seat and went around her desk to face him.

"Don't try to avoid my point, Oliver. You can't protect all the buyers which will be there, tomorrow. Your mother and Malcom also will be there. You need help." She stood in front of him and gave him her steady gaze.

"I can't risk anyone else' life for me, Felicity."

"Then get the help from SCPD. Talk to Captain Lance. Go as Arrow and talk to him. Describe the situation to him and ask for his help. If he refuses, I will talk to him. He will listen to me."

"No, don't. I will talk to him. You go home now. I will see you in the morning." Oliver said.

She nodded and stepped aside to let him leave the room. Oliver pulled the mask on his face again and took his bow in hand.

"Thanks for helping Felicity. Go home safely."

Then he left.

Felicity sighed and slumped on her seat.

That night when she was going to sleep, she noticed the dark figure standing on the roof across her street, through her window.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Oliver was waiting.

He was waiting for Diggle to awake.

Last night was a nightmare. The auction of Unidac Industries was smashed by 'the Dead shot'. And Diggle was shot with a curare mixed bullet. Oliver brought him to the foundry, and gave him the 'cure from the island'. It's been two hours and almost midnight, Oliver was waiting for Diggle to wake up.

He knew he was going to face Diggle's wrath, when he get up, he was waiting for that.

Oliver couldn't meet Felicity as he promised her, he would do. QC being a strong bidder for the Unidac, were preparing for the auction with their big guns. As the vice president who abandoned the company and ran off once, Oliver had to be there to prove the shareholders that this time he was going to stick. May be he will have to do that again and again to prove that. But Oliver didn't want to put his mother and Walter in that position again.

By leaving the company and running off with Sara, Oliver had put all his hard work of one year while he was the vice president before, in vain. The board didn't trust him now. He had to build from the scratches.

But he knew he had to meet Felicity soon. There were so many things to discuss. Finally he would be able to face her with nothing to hide. Surprisingly, he felt relieved about that.

After getting Diggle to the foundry, Oliver sent a message to Felicity's phone telling her that he and Diggle is okay and safe. He knew that after hearing about the disastrous auction, she will be worried.

The stirring of Diggle was what brought Oliver's thoughts back to the situation.

The big man opened his eyes and took his whereabouts carefully. When his eyes met Oliver's, they became hard.

"Hey" Oliver greeted him.

"Oliver…?" Diggle was taking in the man in green leather.

Oliver was silent and waiting for the man to process it all.

"You are the vigilante." Oliver slightly nodded in reply.

Diggle took a step forward to hit him. Oliver stepped aside and said,

"Easy Dig. You were poisoned."

Diggle was swaying, yet his angry glare was directed at Oliver.

"You son of b…." Diggle tried to punch him again. Oliver easily blocked it and held him strained. After a few seconds, when he was sure that Diggle wasn't going to pull punches again, he released him.

"I couldn't get you anywhere. I couldn't get you home, so I brought you here."

And he started his argument with Diggle. Diggle was pissed at him. Yet Oliver tried to justify his intentions to Diggle stating that the city is dying and it needs to be saved. He asked Diggle to join him, as a fellow soldier.

"Oliver you are not a soldier, you are a criminal and a murderer." That were the Diggle's parting words.

After Diggle left the foundry, Oliver stayed a bit more there collecting his thoughts together.

Tommy and Felicity had insisted that he needed help, and Oliver refused them, although at Felicity's insistence he had asked for help from Captain Lance. And now, when he asked for help from Diggle, one he knew had the ability to help his crusade, Diggle has turned his back on him.

…

"Where were you?"

Oliver entered his home two hours past midnight and was at the stairs to go to his room.

Laurel was standing in the hall and looking formidable. Oliver didn't like her stance. It looked like she was waiting in the hall for him to come home.

"What..?" He asked. Laurel was staring at him questioningly.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver asked.

"I heard about the shooting. I wanted to make sure you are okay." She replied.

"Did you?"

"Yeah. I knocked on the door and I found a family terrified for you. They had no idea where you were."

"Oh" Oliver tried to make it sound like nothing.

"Oliver, are you so self-centered that…"

"He was with me." Laurel was interrupted by a familiar voice.

Both Oliver and Laurel turned to Felicity who came into the hall from the entrance door.

"What..?" this time it was Laurel.

"He was at my home. William saw on news about the shooting and was terrified. I had to call Oliver and ask him to come home to make William sure that his dad isn't hurt. So, Oliver was at my home."

Felicity told Laurel confidently and came to Oliver's side. Oliver couldn't stop giving her a grateful smile. She saved his skin, again.

Laurel looked as if she was measuring her words.

Then she huffed.

"Of course, you for one to call Oliver because your son was terrified." Laurel's voice was full of venom.

"I beg your pardon." Felicity said.

"You will use every chance to bring him to your home. Won't you? Even that son of yours." Laurel said.

"Laurel." Oliver started.

"Even if I did that, which I certainly didn't do, it will be none of your business, Laurel." Felicity replied with a voice Oliver knew to be near her red line.

"Huh, of course Felicity, it is not my business. Because it is certainly YOUR business. I just asked because I have best interest of this family in my heart. I'm going to be a part of this family. I have to keep an eye on people who try to take advantage of my family." Laurel said.

Oliver felt Felicity stiffened at Laurel's obvious accusations.

"This is my family too, Laurel. While I appreciate your concern about our family, I would like it if you stay out of me and William's matters. You are going to be a daughter-in-law of this house and I am a daughter of this family. It would be better if you remember that." Felicity replied with a controlled voice yet Oliver recognized her anger.

Laurel was not going to back off at the moment.

"Oliver came to your house and assured your son that he is okay. So why are you here, Felicity? At two a.m.? Didn't you believe that Oliver would come home after leaving your house and come to see him home?" Laurel was stepping out of her line.

"Laurel, You are stepping.." Oliver was interrupted again by Felicity who was now glaring at Laurel.

"I am here to see my family, Laurel. While it is inappropriate for a woman to come to her fiancé's family house at 2 a.m. alone, I don't find it a problem for a daughter to come home and assure herself that her family is safe. And I came with Oliver, my child's father." Felicity entangled her fingers with his and raised her chin.

Oliver stared at her awed. She was beautiful. Standing beside him, holding his hand and defying Laurel. She was radiant like a beam of sunshine.

"Ah.. your child. You always like to remind of your adopted son. Aren't you Felicity? He is like a lottery to you. Your own personal ticket to Oliver's life. Because of him, you can always summon Oliver to your side in a whim. You say you don't want to marry him yet you always call him and make him come to you. But remember this Felicity, how much harder you try to hold him; he will leave you. He will remain until the newness of having a son fades away. Then he will leave you and get another woman pregnant and betray you and your precious son." Laurel spat at Felicity.

Oliver couldn't hold back anymore.

"Laurel, stop this. You can tell anything about me, I deserve it. But, don't you dare insult Felicity. She doesn't deserve to be accused by you. She is raising my child and I'm forever in debt to her for that. She doesn't need a ticket to my life. She has a free pass. She always had. I will be always by her side if she wanted me to be. And she doesn't have to hold me or tie me to her because I have no intention of leaving her or my son." Oliver told her in his firm tone.

Felicity squeezed his hand and he squeezed back.

Laurel was fuming.

"What a beautiful little family you three make, Ollie. A reformed billionaire play boy, an orphan girl from Vegas who lived on others pity and a bastard son."

"LAUREL"

Oliver didn't know what came over him, if it wasn't for Felicity holding him tight he would have slapped Laurel. He for a second forgot his manners.

It was Oliver now fuming. His son was not a bastard. William had a father. It was the messed up situation that he couldn't give him Queen Name.

Felicity took a step forward and Oliver moved along with her not letting her hand go.

"I told you to never take the 'B' ward in front of me again, Laurel. Yes, I'm an orphan but I was lucky to have a loving family who accepted me for who I am. And I managed to build a circle of friends and family who love me, cherish me and protect me. I can count on any of them to have my back at any time, including Oliver. My son has my surname, not because Oliver or the family refused to give him Queen Name, but because it is best for him, for his safety. Yes, I adopted him. If I can repay and return the love this family gave me from the moment I stepped into their arms, by doing the same thing for their child, I would never step back from it. In contrary I feel pity for you, Laurel. Even after having a complete family, you are the loneliest person I have ever seen."

Felicity's words had a steely strength.

"You are going to be my sister-in-law Laurel. I suggest that you talk and address Felicity and my son respectively or I will make sure that my family hears about this conversation and I assure you none of them will be pleased with you." Oliver didn't like to threaten Laurel, yet she asked for it. He didn't lie to her. He will do anything when it comes to his son and for Felicity for that matter.

Laurel stared at them and both Felicity and Oliver held her gaze. Then Laurel raised her chin and turned and left the hall through the entrance door.

Felicity let a deep sigh and Oliver felt her go numb. He turned to her not letting her hand go.

She had her eyes closed and she was trying to calm herself.

"That went well." Oliver said.

Felicity opened her eyes. Her blue eyes were wet. A slight tremble went in her body. Oliver stepped into her personal space and wrapped his arms around her. He knew it was very brave of her to step in to his rescue and to stand against Laurel's venomous words. Felicity was a soft woman. She didn't like to hurt others. It didn't take a genius to understand the pain she put herself into by hurting Laurel's feelings. She did that for his son. She did that for him.

Oliver was very proud of her.

After a few moments Felicity stepped out of his arms.

"Thanks. I.. I was a bit… upset by Laurel's words. I didn't want to hurt her. But I can't stop myself when she goes after William." Felicity tried to smile.

"This was not the first time she did that. She called him the 'B' word before. Didn't she?" Oliver asked her. He was angry at Laurel. It was him who she should be angry at not his little boy.

"Once. And I told her to not to do that again. William was there. He was very upset; even though he didn't know the meaning of the word he understood that it was not a good word."

Oliver felt his blood boil at her words. How could Laurel be this bitter? He could understand her hating him. He deserved that. Why was she angry at Felicity? It made no sense.

"That was harsh."

They both turned to see Thea standing behind them. She was still wearing the dress she wore for the auction.

"Thea, are you okay? I wanted to make sure that you guys are okay." Felicity said hugging Thea.

"Yeah, Lizz. We are good. We were a bit worried about Ollie though."

"He was at my home." Felicity returned quickly.

"I guessed that. It's okay, Lizz. William is important to Oliver just as you to us. We understand." Thea replied.

"Thea, I'm sorry. I should have text you about going to Felicity's home." Oliver said caressing his sister's hair.

"It's okay, Ollie. How are you two? I tried to send Laurel off. But she insisted on waiting. Laurel is acting a bit weird these days. Tommy is also worried."

"Where is he?" Felicity asked.

"He came from the club an hour ago. He said he was tired and retired to his room. I think they are going through a rough patch. They didn't talk much." Thea said.

"That explains Laurel's bitterness, at least a part of it." Felicity said.

Oliver looked at her concerned. She was hiding something from him. There was something more behind this, Oliver thought to himself. But this was not the time to dig that up. They were both tired.

"We all had a very busy day, Thea. We are all exhausted." Oliver said and Thea nodded in agreement.

"I'll leave it to you two then. Good night Felicity, good night Ollie." Thea gave another hug to Felicity and patted Oliver's back and left.

Oliver turned to Felicity. She was looking so tired. Her eyes had bags under them.

"Thank you for rescuing me and standing by my side, Felicity." Oliver said. His heart was filled with warmth.

She smiled.

"That's what we do for friends, right." She returned.

Oliver felt his heart skip a beat.

"You consider me as a friend?" He asked her. His eyes full of hope.

Her grin widened.

"I think we can be friends, Oliver. We have a son to raise together." She replied.

"Yeah, we do." Oliver flashed his charming smile at her.

"I have to go. I left William with Diggle."

At Diggle's name Oliver stiffened. Felicity sensed his discomfort.

"Diggle came to my home. He was very angry at you. I guessed may be he got to know about your secret. By his reaction I thought that the scene must not have gone well. That's why I came. I wanted to make sure everything is alright." She said.

"He was shot with a poisoned bullet and I took him to my base to treat. When he awoke, he saw me for what I am and was very angry at me. I asked him to join me and he left, saying that I'm a murderer."

Oliver said.

"Oh, I'm sorry Oliver." Felicity said, her voice concerned.

"Don't be. He didn't say anything I didn't know." Oliver tried to brush it aside.

Felicity sighed.

"Let's talk about this in a much better situation, Oliver. I have to leave. William tends to wake up at bizarre hours these days. He will be upset if I wasn't there." felicity said.

"Yeah. I'll come to your place when I get this stuff over Felicity. I'm a bit busy these days at QC. But I'll be there. Call me if you need me, Okay?" Oliver asked.

"Okay. Good night, Oliver." She turned to leave.

"Good night Felicity." Oliver replied staring at her retreating figure.

He sighed and started climbing the steps leading to his room. He was so tired. Yet his heart was filled with a new sense of contentment.

He slept that night without being interrupted by a nightmare.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

It was a busy day for Oliver. After having a rough day before, he was upset when he found out that Diggle had resigned from being his body guard, in the morning. Now there was a very angry looking Roy at Oliver's side. Oliver wasn't sure whether Roy was protecting him with his glares directed solely at Oliver or he was silently planning Oliver's murder.

Thea found the situation amusing. Even his mom was smirking.

And Oliver was sure that the only reason for Tommy's unusual trip to QC on his way to MG was just because he wanted to see Roy's misery and Oliver's sore face.

Oliver even thought about calling Felicity and complaining about her adopted little brother. Then he dropped the idea because he was sure even Felicity would find this to be funny.

Then to make the day worse, there he found a glitch in some accounts in past few years. 2.6 million $ to be exact. Oliver asked about it from Walter, yet he didn't know about it either.

It felt like he needed help again. But this time it was for Oliver Queen, not his other persona.

He just knew the person who he would believe to handle such secretive job.

…..

Felicity was in her pajamas when she opened the door for him. Oliver just stood there staring at her cupcake printed pajamas.

"Are you going to come in, or did you knocked my door at 11 p.m. to stay at my doorstep and stare at me?" Oliver blinked and composed his feelings and stepped in.

"Hi." He said.

"Hi. William is asleep. His bed time starts at 9 p.m. although he always tries to stay past that he actually falls asleep at that time." Felicity said. She closed the door and gestured him to move on. Oliver went to her living room and sat down on her couch.

"I didn't come here only for William."

"Yeah, I know. You come here to see Raisa too. You miss her. I can understand. She grows up on people. I don't know what I would do without her…"

Felicity sat down on the chair near him.

Oliver watched her going on and on about how she adores Raisa. She wasn't wrong. He came here to see Raisa as well. But he also came for her too. To see Felicity. To be in her bright presence. To hear her rambles. To feel the warmth she offered.

But Oliver knew he couldn't tell her that. Not yet. So he stayed silent.

"…But you didn't come here to hear me ramble about that which will be ending in 3.., 2.., 1... So Oliver, why are you here?" Felicity asked.

"I need another favor from you." Oliver replied.

"Here I thought my days as your personal assistant was over." Felicity blurted and Oliver flinched.

He didn't want to be reminded how her days as his personal assistant really ended. Considering Felicity's look she also remembered that. Her face paled.

"Bad joke." She said again trying to compose herself.

"Yeah." He returned, shifting in his seat.

They both stayed silent for a few minutes trying to not step on each other's toes.

"I found a glitch in some accounts in QC. 2.6 million dollars are missing. As you are more familiar with QC matters than any other IT technician I know, I thought that… it would be a great help if you could help me to trail it. If you aren't interested in it, I understand. I just… that… it was you who came to my mind when I thought about help. That's why…"  
Oliver tried to tell her what he thought.

"Oliver, the only person here who has the permission to talk in sentence fragments is me. I will help you. Did you bring any document that I could dig into first?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah, here." He handed her the file he brought here.

She took it and kept it on the table near the chair.

"Felicity"

"Oliver"

They both started at once. Then stopped and Felicity gestured him to start again.

"Felicity I wanted to thank you for helping me last night. If you wasn't there to give me an alibi, I would be in a problem with my family."

"And Laurel" she supplied.

"Yeah, and Laurel too." He said.

"You are welcome Oliver. Though I would have liked it if I hadn't had to save you from Laurel." Felicity said. Oliver smiled as a reply to that.

"You know, I talked with Diggle. He is really angry at you. Give him a few days. He will come around." She said.

"I doubt that." Oliver returned.

Felicity frowned.

"Who knows Diggle better, Oliver? You? Or me? Trust me. He needs time to process things. And then he will come around. After all this is not much different from what he did with me before. We were trying to help the city then too." she said.

"I shouldn't involve anyone else in my vendetta, Felicity. This city was failed by my family. I am the one who is responsible. I have to make it correct. It's my job." Oliver said.

"What ever you do, you don't have to do it alone, Oliver. You should have back up. I don't want to find you in back seat of my car, bleeding to death. I'm not asking you to put us all in risk, but let us help you. Tommy wants to help you, you know."

Felicity's words reminded Oliver something Tommy said.

"Tommy said that it was him, who introduced you to Detective Lance. How did that happen? Why did you help the SCPD. If I'm right, you were only 16 when you started troubling Bratva."

Oliver asked.

Felicity smiled.

"I was hacking government agencies since I was 11, Oliver. I got caught once too. Tommy knew about it. He asked me to help him to look into his mother's death. We were never successful, but we found out trails to city mafia. It was my rebelling age. I wanted to make a difference. Tommy didn't like me taking chances on my own. He was worried for my safety, yet he knew that he couldn't stop me from hacking. So he talked with Detective Lance and arranged me to help SCPD. I became "The Oracle". Tommy opened me a path to help people of the city, without putting myself in risk."

"Yet, you were in risk. We were searching all over the places for Oracle. Bratva was hell bent on finishing you. Hell, I was looking for you. If you were revealed then, you wouldn't have survived a next day." Oliver couldn't even imagine what would have happened if she was revealed.

"Yet, I survived. Even after revealing myself to a Bratva captain, I am alive." Felicity countered.

"Yeah, you are alive." Oliver agreed.

"Speaking of that, Oliver. Why didn't you order to kill me then? You knew who I was. You saw the damage I did to your 'so called family'. I know that you ordered your people to kill Oracle at first sight. Yet you kept my revelation to yourself. Why?" Felicity asked.

Oliver didn't know how to answer that question. Why didn't he kill her? Is that a question to ask? Of course he wouldn't kill her. She was Felicity.

'His Felicity'. His heart supplied.

But Oliver didn't verbalize what his heart said. Instead he asked her a question.

"You knew for a long time that I was a member of Bratva, even a captain. Yet you kept that information to yourself. You didn't handover me to SCPD. Why was that? I had betrayed you. I had hurt you badly. Yet you kept my secret. Why Felicity?"

Felicity seemed to be nervous on that question. She adjusted the seat of her chair.

"I… I didn't want to hurt Moira. And Thea. And Tommy also. They would have been miserable if your connection to Bratva was outed. But you didn't answer my question Oliver.  
Why did you save me?"

Felicity's answer angered Oliver. Of course his family would be devastated. But that was not the answer Oliver expected.

"I was worried about mom and Thea too. If I had you killed, they would have been devastated. You are family. I protect my family. I didn't want to hurt them." Oliver observed the sparkle of Felicity's eyes. She was angry at his answer too.

That's what you get in return for your answer before, Smoak. Be content with that. Oliver said in his inner voice.

They glared at each other for a few moments. Felicity was the one to first break the eye contact.

"So, will you tell me now, the reason for doing this 'Robin Hood' play at night? I want to know the real reason, Oliver."

"It's a long story."

"I have wine." She stood up and went to the kitchen, in a few seconds Felicity came back with two glasses and a red wine bottle.

It was a long night for both of them. Oliver told her about his mission. She listened to him silently. Oliver felt relieved that there was at least one person who understood him, and listened to him without interrupting.

Talking with Felicity was always easy for Oliver. Even when they were working together, he liked talking to her. She understood his vision. She never underestimated him for his lack of a degree. She always believed in his strengths. She never demanded more. She never expected less. She was perfect.

Oliver felt that comfortableness again. They were comfortable with each other. Yes, they fought a lot. Yet they always found a middle ground.

Why didn't he see those qualities of her before? Was he blind? Why didn't he appreciate what she offered him?

He was an ass then. Oliver decided.

He took her for granted. He saw the potential in her and took advantage of it. He didn't see the commitment and loyalty. He didn't value them. Oliver realized.

It was 3 a.m. when he returned home. His heart was filled with thought on Felicity. On the things she said. She was right. He needed help. Yet he couldn't involve her in this. It was too risky.

Oliver would never again put Felicity in risk.

No.

….

He couldn't sleep. Oliver awoke from a nightmare. This time it was Felicity dying.

He put his t shirt on and went down to the TV room, in hoping to watch something until the sun rises.

He saw lights on in the TV room. Thea was there.

"Hi brother. Couldn't sleep either?" Thea asked.

"No. what are you watching?" Oliver sat down beside her.

"A case about some psycho killing his wife." Thea turned off the TV and faced him.

"So, why couldn't you sleep?"

"Bad dreams."

"About?"

"Felicity."

Thea smirked.

"So, why don't you act on it, Ollie?" he could see that she was genuinely interested.

"There are reasons." He replied.

"What are they? … besides using her to hurt mom and sleeping with her only to dump after. And humiliating her in front of her friends and family and insulting her repeatedly." Thea was never a person to go around the bush.

"Those are the top ones." He agreed. Thea grinned.

"I know it seems like it doesn't sometimes, but Thea, I'm not the same man I was 4 years before. I'm changed." Oliver said.

"So, show her that. Show her that this time it's different Ollie. Show her that you care, for William and her." Thea said.

"I'm trying, speedy." Oliver replied.

Thea sighed and put her head on his arm. Oliver tucked her into his side.

"You know, Ollie. When you went missing, everyone was upset. Mom was running here and there, contacting Chinese embassy and planning rescue missions. Dad was taking care  
of QC. Tommy was at Laurel's. He didn't even once talk to me. I was confused. I was very vulnerable. I didn't know what to do. So I got inside my room and shut everyone else out. Roy tried to get in, but I shut him out too." Thea was clinging to his arm. Oliver rubbed her beck in soothing circles.

"I don't know how I spent the day, but when the night came it was devastating. It was two days and there was no news on you. I was a mess. Then Felicity came. I don't know who told her, but I know that once she heard the news she didn't hesitate to come back. She took me in her arms and held me until I pour out all my fears. I was blaming myself for your death."

Thea trembled.

"No, Thea. It was not your fault. Never. It was me who decided to go in that ship. It was never you." Oliver tried to convince her.

"I know. That's what Felicity said so."

"She is always right. Don't tell her that I said that." Oliver joked.

Thea smiled through tears.

"She was there for me Ollie. She was there for mom. When all of us went down scrambling, she stood up as a supporting pillar. She never left us. She let us mourn for you, yet never spilled a single tear herself. She held herself for us." Thea shuddered again.

"Then the will was read and the secret about William came to the scene. She worked with Diggle and found out about Will. Then they arranged to bring him here. When there was the concern about Will's safety, she took it upon herself and took him into her care. Laurel was a bitch to her. Yet she never once tried to hurt Laurel. After settling everything, she took William and went to Central city again. We visited them time to time, but it was nothing like raising a child single handedly."

Oliver went on Thea's words. How would it have been for Felicity, to raise a child alone? And to know that the child was to be the man's who had hurt her like no one else?

"The fact is that, we never appreciated her Ollie. We never thanked her for what she did. That day I lost my brother, mom lost her son. We were miserable. Yet we didn't think about Felicity's loss. She lost you, the man she loved. Don't give me that look Ollie. Yes she loved you. No one would do such things for a man she hated."

Oliver nodded his head in acknowledgement. Yes, there was nothing to deny. She loved him. But the operative word is "Loved". It's past tense.

"She never cried Ollie. She silently stood up there in front of your grave and held me. She never let grief took over. She is still holding herself up. She loved you by raising William. She respected your memory. She never mourned for you Ollie. The grief is still there. She never dated anyone seriously. She never started any relationship. I know for a fact that  
Barry was interested in her, yet she never encouraged him. Losing you had broken something inside her. Not losing you by your death, it happened before that. She lost you before that. She had cried for you before that. That's why she didn't cry then."

Oliver's eyes were wet. He felt Thea's words in his heart.

"That's why you have to try again Ollie. You have to mend her heart back. After you, she was never the same Felicity we knew. You have to bring her back. You have to hold her and let her cry. Let her grief out. She is still trapped inside her shell. You have to make it right, Ollie."

Thea looked into his eyes and said,

"You have to bring my best friend back. Because as I have said you before, you have no idea what you lost that day, when you let her go, Ollie."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Felicity, when I started the private security company all those years back, I wanted to save lives. But, after all these years I feel like I missed out the purpose. I only felt like helping people, fighting for the right cause, only when I helped you in your little missions." Diggle was saying.

"Then start it again, Dig. It's just that I won't be there. But, Oliver will be." Felicity tried to reason.

"I don't trust Queen, Felicity. I don't trust his ways. He is Bratva, for god's sake." Diggle exclaimed.

"I trust him, Dig. I know his methods are much more different, but we can come in to a middle ground. To some non-kill thing. But he needs you. I and Tommy both offered to help him, yet he didn't accept it. He only asked from you to help him."

"Should I be honored by that, Felicity?"

"Yes, No. that was not what my meaning Dig. It's that he doesn't want a side kick. He wants a friend, a brother."

"I can't think of him as a brother, after what he did to you, Felicity."

"If I could forgive him, why couldn't you Dig?"

"Because, you didn't see your friend, whom you consider as your little sister fading out in front of your eyes, Felicity. You didn't see yourself getting broken by him, piece by piece. I saw it. Roy saw it. That's why it's so hard for us to forgive him." Diggle roared.

Felicity flinched. She didn't expect such resistant from Diggle. She was so confident that he would come to see it, when she explained it.

"I… I'm sorry Dig. I shouldn't have asked this from you. I'm sorry." Felicity said apologetically.

"Don't Felicity. I do want to help the city. This city needs saving. It's just that I don't like doing it together with Oliver." Diggle sighed.

"Can't you give him another chance? For me?" Felicity asked him. Diggle stared at her for a moment.

"You still believe in him, Don't you Smoak?"

"I do."

"Okay, I will help him. But, there is one condition."

"What is it?"

"You can't be involved in his missions."

"Dig."

"No, Felicity. This work is too risky. You have a child to care about, whose dad is wearing green leather and running around the city shooting criminals, at night. So, you are not involving. It's a deal breaker."

Diggle made sense. Felicity knew. So she nodded in agreement.

"Smoak, open the door."

Both Diggle and Felicity stood up from their seats in her living room, when the voice, which resembled Tommy heard from the front door with a heavy knocking on the door.

They both moved to the door quickly and Felicity opened the door.

Tommy was out of breath and he went straightly to her living room and sat on the couch.

"What happened Tommy?" Felicity asked.

Tommy signed for a break and they waited for him to catch his breath.

"Ollie has been arrested." Tommy said, just as he calmed down.

"What?" Felicity asked.

"Thea called me just now. I was coming here to meet you. She called me. SCPD thinks that he is the vigilante. They have arrested him."

"Oh man!" Diggle exclaimed.

"But, how? Do they have any evidence?" Felicity asked.

"They claim they have. Captain Lance himself has arrested Ollie. I called Laurel too. She says id they have any evidence, it will be hard."

Tommy said.

"Did you tell Laurel about Oliver?" Diggle asked.

"No, god no. I wouldn't dream on it. She doesn't suspect him to be the vigilante. I just asked for the legal advice." Tommy replied.

"We have to do something." Felicity said.

"That's why I came to you running, Liz. If they have any digital evidence against Ollie, you have to erase them." Tommy said.

"No, I can't. Tommy." Felicity replied.

"What? Don't you want to help him, Liz? Do you want to see him go to jail?" Tommy asked bewildered.

"No, if I do that I won't be helping him, Tommy. I have worked for SCPD for so long. If I erased the evidences they will be assured that Oliver is the 'Hood'. Captain Lance will know that I did that. We have to think about solving this legally." Felicity replied. Wheels of her brain were turning erratically.

"She is right, Merlin. We need a good lawyer." Diggle agreed.

"Laurel?' Tommy asked.

Felicity and Diggle shared a look.

"I don't think it's a good idea, Tommy." Diggle said.

"But, it's Captain Lance who arrested Oliver. I think if Laurel fought for Ollie, it will help the case." Tommy argued.

"I don't know, Tommy." Felicity was reluctant to accept that idea.

"If you can't help him, at least let Laurel help him, Felicity." Tommy snapped.

Felicity grimaced. She didn't like it. But, Tommy had a point. So she agreed to it.

"Okay, let's just run this idea with Oliver first." Felicity said.

…..

Oliver liked that idea. So it was Laurel who dealt with his case. She managed to get him out under bail and on the condition of being in home confinement and monitored by electronic device attached to his leg.

Oliver didn't like that condition but, the family was relieved.

Felicity didn't attend the court and waited at Queen Mansion for the family to return.

They came with Laurel.

Laurel looked at Felicity swiftly and walked past her. Moira and Thea hugged her and told her about the judge's decision. Then Oliver came in and he asked her about William. She said that she left him with Raisa and Roy.

"Ollie, the SCPD officer will be here in an hour, to attach that electronic device to your leg. Why don't you get to you room and get ready for that?" Laurel turned towards them and asked sweetly.

"Yeah, I'll be ready." Oliver left the room.

"I really don't like this. She is being too sweet." Thea muttered to Felicity's ear.

Felicity watched Tommy's face changing a bit, but he composed himself quickly.

After the SCPD officer came and left, Oliver announced that he was going to have a party tomorrow after his polygraph test.

"Oliver, I don't think it's a good idea." Felicity voiced her concern.

"I'm going to be confined in this house for a seeable future. I think I have to do something to not to be bored. I think we should have a themed party. Prison and jail. That's good." Oliver said.

"Ollie, I agree with Felicity. A party is not the best option now, considering the circumstances…" Tommy started.

"Tommy, these circumstances ask for it. I support Ollie on this. He should show that he is not shaken by these accusations." Laurel said.

"Laurel, you can't be serious. This is insane." Felicity said.

"You, I think should stay out of this, Smoak. You were not there when Ollie needed someone. I was there. I was the one who got him out. So, it's not your place to give your ideas." Laurel snapped.

"Laurel" Tommy was angry.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't speak to your sweet little Felicity like that. I know, Tommy." Laurel scoffed.

"Laurel, I asked you once to respect Felicity's place in this family and my life. I'm very grateful to you for coming for my aid this time. But that doesn't give you the right to talk to Felicity like that. Sorry Tommy. She needed to hear that." Oliver turned to Tommy and finished.

"Yes. Go attack Laurel. After all it seems like she can't resist helping Queens and Merlins. Then insult her and humiliate her in front of others." Laurel said.

"Laurel, don't try to make a scene, please." Tommy said.

"Drop it guys. I have to have some rest. This took a toll on me." Oliver got up and left the room.

"I would have gone to the law college myself and be a lawyer, if I'd known that we have to go to Laurel each and every time we need a lawyer. If she wasn't engaged to Tommy, I know what to do to get rid of her." Thea muttered.

…

They were in Oliver's room. Felicity was pacing around the room. Tommy was sitting on the window sill. Diggle was standing near the closed door. Oliver came out of the room and stared at each of them.

"Hey guys, leave it. This is a good thing." Oliver said.

"How could this be a good thing, Ollie?" Tommy asked.

"Think about it Tommy. Tomorrow night there will be hundreds of people here, who will vouch that I was here with them whole night. And there is that electronic gadget too."

"And.." Diggle prompted.

"And there is a machine gun deal to be take place at glades at the same time." Oliver looked expectantly at Felicity. She stared at him. Then a smile appeared on her face.

"If the vigilante make an appearance there, when Oliver is clearly here, and if we make sure that there are plenty of people who saw vigilante there…"

Felicity slowed.

"Then Oliver will be freed. The SCPD will be forced to drop the charges." Diggle completed.

Oliver grinned.

"But, how can the vigilante be there, when Ollie is here?" Tommy asked.

"It shouldn't be Oliver, Tommy. There should only be a hooded man." Felicity said.

"Oh.. I got it. Then who is the lucky guy? Me?" Tommy asked expectantly.

"Sorry to break this to you, Tommy. But you will never be able to get out of there alive." Felicity patted him.

Oliver chuckled and turned to Diggle.

"John, Tommy said that you agreed to help me. If you like, this will be your first mission. I'm not asking you to risk yourself to save my life, though."

Diggle stepped in front of Oliver.

"Oliver, I'm not signing to be your side kick. But, you clearly need help and this city needs saving. I'm going to help you because, even though you are doing a war, you don't know what a war do to you. It scrapes your soul. I'll be there to remind you who you are. That's all I can do for you. But, you can't lie to me. Never. Okay?"

Diggle offered his hand. Oliver took it and shook.

"Okay, now that's settled. I'll be helping you to pin down the location of the gun deal, Dig. Tommy can arrange the party." Felicity clapped and set to leave.

"Yeah, leave all the boring parts to Tommy." Tommy muttered.

"I thought you loved partying, Tommy." Oliver said.

"It lost its taste when it became my job, Ollie." Tommy returned.

…

The party was going well in downstairs. Felicity was in the study of Queen's mansion. She was directing Diggle on his mission, using her tablet. Oliver wanted to be there with her but she pointed out to him that the objective of the party was to Oliver to be seen among the partying people. So he left her to it after assuring that no one will be here at night.

Diggle successfully finished his mission and Felicity sent several pictures from the CCTV cameras around the area which had caught the image of the vigilante, to the SCPD.

Diggle was returning to the Arrow cave and Felicity was tired. After a long time she felt the rush and excitement of conducting the secret missions. She felt the adrenaline rush, the contentment at the end of the mission, knowing that she did something to help the city.

She went towards the party ground to find Oliver and tell him the news.

But she couldn't find him anywhere.

"Thea, did you see Oliver?" She asked from Thea, who was dancing in the terrace among the drunken dancers.

"No. Liz. Come here dance with me." Thea waved towards Felicity.

"No Thanks. Thea. I have to find Oliver." Felicity said.

"Oh, come on Liz. Loosen up a bit. You are always too serious nowadays. Where is my old sunshine best friend?" Thea shouted above the loud music.

Felicity knew it was best to leave Thea that way. She was not in a mood to dance. So she left there and went towards Oliver's room.

Oliver's room door was opened. Felicity knocked and there was no reply. So she entered. The door to the balcony was open. She saw Oliver standing there, his back towards her.

"Oliver…" she called. He turned to her. His face was in shadows. He made no move from there, so she went to him.

"Everything is alright. Mission went well. Dig made the appearance and I made it sure that SCPD has the pictures." Felicity said.

"Thanks." Oliver replied, still standing in the darkness.

"You don't have to thank me. I did nothing. It's all Diggle. I just stayed at the other end and took care of the tech side." Felicity said.

"You don't have to do this, Felicity. Why are you helping me?" Oliver took one step towards her.

"I… I just wanted to help the city." Felicity replied.

"You did so much than just helping the city, Felicity. I'm asking about rescuing me from SCPD four years ago. I'm asking about not revealing my Bratva connection to anyone. I'm asking about taking care of my family after I went missing. I'm asking about raising my son, as your own, Felicity. Why are you doing these? After all the things I did to you. After I hurt you and humiliated you badly. Why?" Oliver asked in a broken voice.

"Oliver…" Felicity stuttered. She didn't know how to explain him. She didn't know how to tell him that she didn't regret anything.

"You did all these for me even though you hate me. Why?" Oliver took another step.

Felicity stood there rooted to the spot.

"I don't hate you, Oliver." she whispered.

Oliver was so near to her now. She could see his eyes now, they were dark blue.

"You should hate me, Felicity. You should." He said.

"I tried. I tried so hard to hate you Oliver. For a long time, I tried. For some time, I thought I had achieved that, until the day they found you alive." Felicity said. Her voice was equally broken now.

Oliver was listening to her silently.

"I understood that day, that until then I was angry at you for what you did to me. I was angry at you for leaving all of us. I was angry at you for not being a father to William, even though I knew that it was not a choice taken by you. I was focusing my frustrations at you. But the moment I got to know that you were alive, was the moment I realized that I never thought about what you went through. If you were alive for all those years, you must have been put through so much. I didn't wonder for a moment what could have happened to you. I thought you were dead and I felt like I betrayed you, somehow."

Oliver was staring at her as if she was holding his lifeline.

"Moira told me about your scars. And I couldn't stop thinking about the torture you must have had to endure to get all that. Whatever you did to me and the others, you didn't deserve that, Oliver. You didn't deserve to be tortured." She trembled.

Oliver watched her. They were staring into each other's eyes.

"Can I see them?" Suddenly Felicity asked. Oliver took a step back.

"Are you sure?" He asked her.

"Yeah. If you are not uncomfortable…" Felicity whispered.

Oliver opened the first button of his shirt. He was staring into her eyes. She didn't even blink. He opened the rest of the buttons and Felicity touched his shirt. He let her move the shirt away and watched her intensely.

She gasped.

His torso was fully decorated with scars. There was a Tattoo, which she recognized as the Bratva tattoo. Other than that there were numerous scars she hadn't seen the last time she saw him naked. There were bullet scars, knife wounds, burns, teeth marks and several other marks of torture she didn't recognize.

Felicity felt her heart burning for him, for the pain he went through.

She touched his scars. She ran her fingertips along them. Oliver stiffened at her touch first. Then he relaxed with her further touches.

"I'm sorry…" Felicity whispered.

"You don't have to be. It's not your fault." he replied.

"No, I'm sorry that you had to go through that, Oliver. I'm sorry that you had to feel the pain alone." She returned.

She didn't know she was crying, until his thumb trailed on her cheek and wiped the tears on them.

He cupped her face by his hand and looked into her blue eyes.

"Felicity, you are the purest soul I have known in my life. I don't want to contaminate you by getting near to you again. Yet, I'm here. Showing you my scars, something I try to hide from even the closest people to me. I can't stay away from you even if I tried. Believe me, I tried. I failed at that. I'm not comfortable at talking about that island or what happened there. I don't show my scars to people because, if they saw them, they will stop seeing me. They will see the broken man inside me. They will know that I'm damaged." Oliver said.

Felicity touched his hand which was holding her face.

"You want to know what I see, Oliver? I see a man who suffered, yet was brave enough to go through all that pain to come back to his family. I see a man who wears his scars as a shield to hide the scars inside his heart. I see a man who risks his life every night to bring justice to a corrupted city. I see a man who went through hell and returned to his home. You are a survivor, Oliver. I see a man who survived. May be you are a little bit lost. But, it's nothing we can't solve together." Felicity knew she was opening her heart to him, again. Yet, she couldn't stop herself.

They stared at each other. Oliver touched her hair with his other hand. She held on to his shirt, which was still open.

She didn't know the exact moment it happened, but she was in his arms. He held on to her as if his life depended on it. She melted in his hold. Then his head dipped and his face was on her neck. She felt the wetness of his tears before she heard his silent sobs. He was trembling. She rubbed his back and held him tightly. She listened to his erratic heart beat until it became calmed.

After a while he loosened his hold. She felt him placing a kiss on her hair. And after a second he stepped back from her. She looked into his eyes. They were clear now. He tucked a lose strand of her hair back of her ear and smiled at her.

"Thank you, Felicity."

She smiled back.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 25**

Oliver was free.

Captain Lance was not happy with what happened, but with the appearance of the vigilante in Glades when Oliver was in house arrest, he had nothing else to do but release him.

Oliver was happy.

He wouldn't say that he was happy only because of the fact that he was free. It has a lot to do with a certain blond woman who accepted him for what he was.

He was circling in their living room looking at their family photos. He was smiling for a change.

"Oh my god!" Oliver turned at Thea's squeal.

He smiled at her.

"What is wrong with your face?" she asked with a frown.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"There is something weird on your face. Something with your mouth… like a smile." She said.

He grinned.

"That's cute."

"So why are you grinning?" Thea asked.

"I took your advice, with Felicity, to be myself." He replied carefully.

"And…" She prompted.

"It's helping." He concluded,

"I got mad relationship skills, bro. Let me know when you plan to propose her again. For example, I would never have advice you to give her Isabel's ring." She said in a hushed voice.

"I think you are getting a little bit ahead of yourself, Thea. A little bit…" He joked.

She waved her hand in dismissal and returned to her room with a smile on her face.

….

He went to Felicity's home that morning. Diggle was accompanying him as his bodyguard. Diggle replaced Roy after his obvious lack of interest of keeping Oliver safe.

Oliver felt like he and Diggle now had some kind of trust in each other. Diggle was going to help him with his crusade. That was good. That was very good.

"Daddy…" William came running to his arms when he entered the house.

"Good morning buddy. Did you wake up early today?" Oliver asked while taking him into his hands and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Yes. I am an early riser. Mommy hates it. I jump into her bed and wake her up at six." William said in a very proud voice.

Oliver chuckled.

"How do you know it's six?" he asked.

"Her alarm goes off at six and she turns it off and tries to sleep more. I listen to the alarm sound and run to her room at once." William said matter of factly.

"You are very brave, Will. I never thought there will be anyone who is brave enough to take her on before her morning coffee." Diggle patted William on his back and gave Oliver a knowing look.

"She can never get angry at me. She says I'm too much charming." William said.

"I'm not surprised at that. She never could resist that smile and blue eyes. That was her fatal flow." Diggle muttered.

Oliver knew it was aimed at him. It seemed that Diggle has still some bitterness at him.

He kissed William again and took him into the living room.

"Did your mommy go to office, buddy?" Oliver asked him.

"Yes, she went to the office. She said that Uncle Barry will be there today. He came from Central city to see mommy and me. He is taking us out for dinner today." William said in a chirpy voice. He got down from Oliver's arms and ran to the kitchen yelling to Raisa about Oliver's arrival.

Oliver frowned at his son's words. Uncle Barry. This Barry person has too much place in his son's life.

"This Barry is from Central city. Isn't he?" Oliver asked from Diggle.

"Yeah. He was Felicity's neighbor." Diggle replied with an inquiring glance which Oliver decided to ignore. He wanted to know about this Barry.

"I thought he was from her office there." he said.

"Yes. That's true. But he was her neighbor first. They became very good friends and he had good skills at managing business so she offered him a position in her office. Now he is managing her office there. She has a good team there." Diggle replied. This time with a smirk.

"Does he visit them often? This Barry?" He asked.

"He visits once a fortnight. Felicity misses him like no one. They used to go out for dinner often. William loves Barry. He was the one of people who couldn't resist Will's pouting and puppy dog eyes. He helped Felicity Raising Will. And often got in trouble with Felicity for spoiling Will."

Dig replied with fondness in his eyes. Probably he likes that Barry a lot. Oliver thought.

"Daddy, would you like to have breakfast with me?" William popped his head from the kitchen and asked.

"Yes Buddy. I will have breakfast with you. Diggle too." Oliver replied for Diggle as well.

They had breakfast and left for the QC. Will wanted Oliver to spend the day with him. But Oliver had to leave, for he had a very important meeting at the QC. So he left. Will was not happy.

It's getting too hard to leave Will after spending time with him. Oliver realized.

He loved his son too much.

…...

He got a call during the meeting. It was Felicity. Oliver cut the call and put the phone in silent mode. He had to put office and business before everything. He had to prove that this time he is not going to run away. He had put QC in very difficult position when he ran off in Gambit. This time he is not going to put his mother in that position again.

So he ignored the light signal from his phone which indicated that he had received a message from Felicity.

After the meeting, he had to attend a presentation session of the Applied Science Department. It was late afternoon when he set his feet out of the board room.

Diggle brought lunch and they had it in his room.

"Oliver, why aren't you answering your phone? I called you 05 times." Moira entered the room.

"Oh, it's on silent mode. I forgot to check it." Oliver replied.

"Felicity called me. She couldn't contact you. There has been an accident. William is hurt. She said it is not bad. But Will is asking for you." Moira said hurriedly.

Oliver felt his breath stopped. He got up and Diggle was already taking the car keys out. They left the room with Moira following them.

Once he was in the car, Oliver checked his call log. There were 08 missed calls from Felicity and 02 from Tommy. Then there was a message from Felicity. He quickly opened it.

'Oliver, William has been in an accident. Don't worry. It's not serious. But he is asking for you. Come to Starling city hospital as quickly as possible. – FS.'

Shit.

He cursed himself. He should have taken her call at once.

He looked at Diggle.

"Why didn't she call you?" He asked from Diggle.

"I had forgotten my phone at home today." Diggle said.

Oliver didn't know how many Traffic signals they broke. Moira was also tensed beside him. He tried calling Felicity but the call went to her voice mail.

Once the car stopped at the entrance of the hospital, Oliver got out of it quickly and ran to the reception desk.

"William Qu.. Smoak. A five year old child. He has been in an accident." He asked from the receptionist.

"Second floor. Room no. 22." She replied after checking the computer.

He ran towards the elevator.

He opened the door and found Felicity, Tommy and a guy looking like a boy standing beside William's bed. The child was sleeping and the unknown guy was holding Felicity's hands in his hands. Tommy was in a call.

They all looked at the opened door.

"What happened?" Oliver asked from Felicity. He tried to ignore the fact that the unknown guy didn't let go her hand.

Felicity smiled warily.

"He had fallen from the stairs. Raisa called me and I brought him here at once. His hand is broken and his head has a little bump. He was crying all along the way and we had to sedate him before adjusting the hand right. He has been asleep for a few hours now."

Felicity said.

"I was in a meeting. I had put my phone in silent mode. I didn't see your calls or message." Oliver tried to explain.

"It's okay Oliver. I was scared and upset. I left the office even without telling Barry. But, fortunately he had seen me rushing towards the car and followed me home. We brought Will as quickly as possible." Felicity said.

So, this is Barry. Oliver thought.

The guy smiled at Oliver and murmured something in Felicity's ear and turned towards William. He caressed Will's hair and patted Tommy's back and left the room.

Moira and Diggle entered the room at the same time. Moira hugged Felicity and Felicity melted into her embrace.

"Don't worry dear. He will be okay." Moira placated her.

"Doctor said we could take him home. We were waiting for him to wake up." Tommy said.

"How did you know about this?" Oliver asked him.

"Felicity called me on the way here. I was near, so I came here before them and arranged the room for Will."

"Tommy was a great help." Felicity told Moira.

Oliver felt like a stranger here. Everyone has left what they were doing and ran for William. He was his father, yet Oliver had ignored the phone calls and even had forgotten to check the phone. He should have known that Felicity wouldn't call him if it wasn't important. He should have taken the call. At least he could have let Diggle to answer it. Instead he focused on business and now he had failed his son. He had failed Felicity.

….

They brought William home and Oliver noted that Felicity is avoiding talking to him. William had all but jumped into his arms when he woke up finally. Oliver took his son into his arms and held him on his lap until they reached home. Felicity and Moira came with him and Tommy had returned to MG. Barry followed them to home.

"Liz, I called Iris and let her know that I'm returning tonight. I think we have to postpone our dinner until next time. Will should rest. He went through a lot today. I will bring his next plane model next time. Then we can go on dinner and celebrate your birthday as well." Barry told Felicity. Oliver tried to not feel elated by the fact that their dinner plan is cancelled.

"Thanks Barry. I will hold you to that." Felicity kissed Barry's cheek and he squeezed her hand.

Oliver was observing their interaction. They seemed to be very close. He thought to himself.

Felicity ignored Oliver again and went to kitchen asking Diggle to help her there. Diggle went behind her and Oliver frowned. He didn't like this Felicity. She was behaving like he had deliberately let her down.

After Diggle left for the night, Oliver was still there. He was sitting beside William's bed and relating a story to the kid.

Felicity brought Will's pills and helped him have it.

After Will fell asleep, Oliver left the room to find Felicity in the living room.

"You are avoiding me." Oliver stated.

"No, I'm not." Felicity returned.

"You are and don't try to deny it Felicity. You think that I deliberately ignored your calls."

Oliver said in a firm tone.

Felicity looked directly at him with her blazing blue eyes.

"I don't think that you did it deliberately, Oliver. But, what happened today has made me realize some things." She said.

"What things?" He asked.

"It has occurred to me that I can't let my son to suffer what I had suffered in my childhood. I have to protect him from everything, including the people who claim to love him."

"What do you mean?"

"My father left me when I was seven. That was the reason we shifted from Vegas. I waited for a long time for him to return. But he didn't come. I couldn't understand why he left me. He said he loved me. He said I was the reason for his happiness. Yet he left me. I have spent a lot of nights trying to figure out what is wrong with me, that the people who I loved, who claimed to love me left me without even looking back. I don't want Will to face that Oliver."

"I won't.."

"When you told me that you wanted to be a part of William's life, I asked you to think thoroughly. Because I didn't want a dad for him, who would not turn up when something happened. I didn't want him to go to sleep crying for his dad. I certainly don't want him to think that he comes second in his dad's priority list. It shouldn't be like that, Oliver."

"Felicity…"

"I was okay when you did that to me Oliver. I'm okay that you ignored my calls. But I'm not okay with you hurting him. You are a father now. Fatherhood is not easy. It has its perks. You can play with him. You can read stories to him. You can take him on trips. But it has some responsibilities attached too. I agreed to raise him with you. It means that I can rely on you some times. I need to be sure that you will put our son in first place in you priority list."

"I have failed you. I screwed it up. Didn't i?" Oliver asked in a small voice.

"Yes, you did. But it doesn't mean that I don't trust you Oliver. I know you love William. It's just that I need you to be there for him, not Barry or Tommy or Diggle."

"I know."

"And no, you haven't failed me, at least not yet. You know that I don't give up on people easily. It's just that you had a bad start and it doesn't help the fact that you are known to run from responsibilities and commitments. I'm trying my best to not hold our history together against you Oliver. Please don't make it so hard." Felicity said.

Oliver stepped closer and took Felicity's hand in his.

"I promise Felicity. I won't let you down. I know it is hard to believe me when I had hurt you so much. But I won't leave William. I won't repeat the mistake your father did. I'm sorry that I wasn't there today, when you needed me. it won't happen again. I promise." He promised her.

She smiled.

"I believe you. And I believe in you, Oliver."

Oliver felt his heart open up a little bit more. He knew she believed him. It was so overwhelming. Her trust on him never wavered. Even when he had done nothing but given her reasons to doubt him. She was truly remarkable.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Felicity found out 'The Queen's Gambit'.

She was trailing the money which was disappeared from QC, the 2.6 million Oliver asked her to look for. And she found that they were used by Moira to by a warehouse near the port. She found the address and went there to examine it. The ship wrecked yatch was certainly not she expected to see and here it is, in front of her. The hull of the ship was blasted as if it was a deliberate action.

A deliberate action!

Felicity took some photos from her phone and got out of the warehouse as soon as possible.

She has to meet Oliver and tell him everything she found.

She called him, and asked to meet him. He said he was going to attend a dinner party at Queen Mansion which was held by Moira for Bowan family and invited her to it.

They would find a secret moment to discuss this then.

Felicity went home and got ready for the dinner.

….

"Felicity, I'm so happy you could make it tonight. When Oliver mentioned me that he invited you I told him that you won't come. As I remember you were not exactly very fond with Carter Bowan or his mother." Moira said welcoming Felicity to the dinner.

"Actually Moira, I'm still not very fond of them. but Oliver, Tommy and Thea insisted that if they were going to suffer the Bowan's punishment, it was only fair that I was to be here too, as a family member." Felicity replied while hanging her coat on the rack.

"Liz…! I'm so happy that finally Ollie came to his senses and asked you for dinner, though it is a family dinner. I was sure that I'm going to die tonight from boredom." Thea ran down the stairs and joined them.

They were all seated in the living room waiting for their guests when Tommy entered the house with Laurel.

"Hello Laurel dear, it's so nice to see you." Moira stood up and welcome Laurel.

"Hi, Laurel." Thea and Felicity greeted.

"Hello." She replied and turned to Tommy.

"Tommy, I thought you said that this is a family dinner with Bowans. I didn't know that you invited her also." She glanced at Felicity and said with a voice which was not so hushed.

Felicity felt Thea stiffening beside her and she caught Thea's hand and squeezed it.

"Laurel, this is the last time I'm going to say this, if you can't say something nice, just stay silent. I don't want you to act like this around Felicity every time you see her. She is family." Tommy was angry.

As if on cue the bell rang indicating Bowans' arrival.

Carter Bowan and his mother were not in the Felicity's favorite people list. They were offensive people who always boasted about this and that.

"Moira, I'm sorry that Malcom couldn't join us." Mrs. Bowan said as she examined the family photographs on the wall.

"Ah, don't. Something with the business came up suddenly. He sends his apologies." Moira said.

"I would be so happy if something came up with the club tonight too." Tommy muttered to Felicity's ear. She tried to muffle her laugh.

"Where is Oliver? Is he also has something..? Before Carter end his question Oliver entered the room, apologizing for his delay. He came up to Moira and kissed her cheek. And greeted the Bowans.

Then to Felicity's surprise, he came to her and stood beside her, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek too.

"We missed you Oliver." Mrs. Bowan said.

"We are very lucky to have him back." Moira said.

"Return of a celebrity." Carter said.

"What do you mean?' Oliver asked directing them towards the dinner table.

The talk went smoothly until Mrs. Bowan wanted to know about Felicity.

"Felicity, so tell me where you were last few years? You were there for the Queens' funeral and then you were gone. We thought you had gone missing too."

"I was in Central city, Mrs. Bowan. I have a business there. I returned few weeks ago." Felicity replied.

"You went missing, just after Oliver's disappearance and then when you showed up finally, Oliver was found just after that. How much of a coincident is that?" Carter asked.

"A total coincident, Carter. I can assure you there were no one in that island who could nearly was beautiful or smart as she is." Oliver replied with a smile.

Everyone laughed and Felicity could feel Oliver relaxing beside her. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Do you know that your story will be a huge hit, if you tried to sell it, Oliver? at least that's what my agent says." Carter said.

"Your agent?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, It's crazy isn't it. One minute I published a book on…." Carter and his mother started the boasting cart and Felicity understood that Oliver cleverly steered the conversation towards Carter and his achievements. Thea was focusing on her food at the other side of the table and Tommy and Laurel had started a conversation between them. So, no one was paying attention to her and Oliver.

"Where were you?" Felicity asked Oliver in a hushed voice.

He inclined towards her and replied in the same voice.

"We were searching for the bank robbers."

"The one who broke the Starling city bank? Dig was able to convince you to look into it? " she asked. He nodded in agreement.

"What do you wanted to tell me?" Oliver asked while pouring a glass of wine for himself.

He poured a one for Felicity too.

"I checked that account. I found a trail." Felicity replied.

"And…" Oliver knew there was something else to come.

Felicity raised her head and looked out at the other occupants of the dinner table. Everyone was in their own world. Thea was texting to someone, probably Roy.

She took a sip of her wine and looked at Oliver.

"They were used by someone we know. They were used to by an abandoned warehouse. I found an address and I went there to check it." She said in the same hushed voice.

"You did what?" Oliver raised his voice and everyone was staring at them.

Thea raised a brow questioningly.

Felicity felt her face flushing with embarrassment and Oliver stood up from his seat.

"Oliver." She whispered, getting up and tried to stop him.

"I'm sorry mom. Please excuse us for a moment." Oliver excused politely and inclined his head towards the door signaling Felicity. She gave them a polite smile and excused herself and followed Oliver.

He went to his room, without even a backward glance and closed the door after her. he was angry, Felicity knew.

"Oliver, what did you do? What would they think…" Felicity started.

"I don't care what they would think Felicity. The question is, what were you thinking? I asked you to look into the accounts. Not to go after it yourself. You should have told me if you found anything. Instead you went after an address and went to a warehouse alone. To check what, Felicity?" Oliver was raged.

"Oliver…" Felicity tried to explain.

"This is about something probably illegal. You and I both knew that. It was dangerous to even ask from you to search for it. Yet I trusted you and asked for help. Now, you are telling me that you put yourself at risk and went to an abandoned warehouse. What were you thinking? You are not a fighter, Felicity. What would you have done if there were people and if they had tried to hurt you? What would have happened to William, if something happened to you? What would have happened to me?"

Oliver was staring at her with blazing eyes. He was furious. Felicity didn't want to think about what happened to the criminals who usually was at the end of that fury.

"Oliver, please listen to me."

"No. you listen to me, Felicity. I did a mistake by asking for help from you. And I'm not going to repeat it. This business is finished. Give me the information you found, and I will handle it from here. This concerns my family and my business. I will look into it." He barked at her.

Felicity flinched. What was he thinking? That he could handle it. That he could control her? She was angry too.

"Look Oliver. I just wanted to help you. That's why I looked into that account. I found out that, it was Moira that who had taken that money out and I was curious. I found the address of the warehouse and I went there to check it. May be I was wrong to go alone, but I didn't realize it that time. I'm sorry. And I found something important there. I took photos and here they are."

She took a pen drive from her purse and gave it to him.

"I'm sorry that you felt like I'm putting William at risk. I didn't intend to. I just wanted to help you. I thought I could look into it further because it was related to Moira and you, to my family. I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry for interfering in your family matters and business, I won't do that again." She said and turned to leave the room.

"Felicity, Please…" Oliver tried to stop her by taking her hand.

Felicity took her hand away and looked into his desperate eyes.

"I'm leaving Oliver. Tell Moira and others that I'm sorry." And she left.

….

It was two days after the dinner and Felicity didn't see Oliver again. He came to visit William every morning on his way to the office and she managed to either leave before he comes or to stay in her room working until he left. Oliver either didn't attempt to meet her.

Diggle told her about their missions and she knew that they found the bank robbers. And Oliver had looked into the warehouse and it had been empty, meaning that someone had known about her visit and removed the wrecked ship out.

Usually when somebody asked Felicity to not look into something she didn't listen to it. She hated mysteries and this was a one. But, this was Oliver's business and he has thoroughly asked her to stay out of it, so she stayed out of it.

Thea and Roy were together again and everything was going smoothly in that front.

Tommy and Laurel were still struggling with whatever thing they were going through and even though Tommy called her to ask about William's recovery from the injury, he didn't talk about he and Laurel at all. She didn't pry into his affairs.

So, when Thea called her crying and told her that there was an attempt to kill Moira in front of the QC, Felicity rushed to the hospital.

There were Thea and Tommy outside the hospital room and they informed her that a doctor was checking Moira. She was not shot, but was hurt by the falling down on the pavement.

"Dad is away for a business meeting." Thea replied Felicity who asked about Malcom.

She didn't ask about Oliver's whereabouts. Thea and Tommy knew there was some estrangement between Oliver and her at the moment and they didn't comment about it.

When the doctor came to them and said that they can take Moira home, was the time when Oliver came running into the hospital.

Felicity moved aside from Moira's bed and let Oliver talk to his mother.

Moira didn't blame Oliver for leaving her at the pavement and running after the shooter but it was Thea who went out at him.

"So, did you catch the culprit?" She asked.

"No, he got away." Oliver replied.

"May be you should spend a little less time trying to be a hero. You are obviously not good at it." Thea said. Felicity noticed Oliver's hurt at her words. But, there was nothing she could do.

She left the hospital with Tommy.

….

Next day Moira was released from the hospital and Felicity and William visited her in the evening to find a sleeping Moira and a very angry Thea with her.

"What happened which made you this angry?' She asked Thea after watching Moira for a bit and then moving towards their TV room. Thea had asked Felicity to stay the night and next day was Sunday so she could have a night out, so she agreed.

That's why she brought William along with her. She hoped that she could give Oliver to be with William that night and then she could have the movie night with Thea. They used to have movies nights every fortnight and that stopped after her leaving the city.

But, Oliver was not at home and that was apparently one reason Thea was angry about.

"I stayed with mom the whole day and I thought we could go out and have a girl's night out as we planned, with Ollie being here with mom. But, he said that he has something important to look into and left. Tommy said he has a date with Laurel and he also went out. I was stuck here." Thea complained.

"Hey, you have me Thea. We could have a girl's night here. Let's have the Harry Potter marathon again. I really missed our movie nights." Felicity said.

William was deep asleep in her arms. She adjusted the cushion and put William on the comfortable seat and covered him with a blanket.

"He is a sweet kid." Thea murmured.

"Yeah. He is." Felicity replied affectionately.

"Mom says he exactly looks like Ollie at that age." Thea said.

"Should be. Children go after their parents." Felicity said.

"Did Ollie say where he went today, to you Liz?" Thea asked.

"No." Felicity replied.

"I'm sick of his lies. He doesn't care for anyone else than him." Thea said.

"I think you are being too harsh on your brother, Thea."

"Why not? Aren't you getting sick of his lies?"

"Thea, everyone has secrets. We all have some things we don't want others to know. You have to respect that." Felicity said.

"I just don't get him sometimes."

"I know. But the Oliver you lost was not the one who came back, Thea. Five years is a long time. He has changed. We have to cut him some slack. We need to stop judging him for what he was and accept him for what he is." Felicity took Thea's hand and said.

"Is that what you are doing, Felicity? Accepting him for who he is now?" Thea looked into her eyes and asked.

"I'm trying to."

….

Felicity was leaving with William when Oliver returned home. He was wearing the last night dress indicating he had spent the night out. Felicity tried to hide the pain the thought caused her. He was surprised to see them.

"Daddy…!" William shouted and wriggled out of Felicity's hold to reach him.

Oliver took his son from Felicity's arms and kissed him.

"Hey buddy. What are you doing here? Did you spend the night here?" He asked from his son.

"Yes daddy. We came to see grand ma Moira. We stayed night. I thought you would be here. But you didn't." William pouted.

"Why didn't you call me? I would have stayed." Oliver said to Felicity.

"Thea said that you went out for something important. If it is important than being with your mother when she is hurt, I thought I should not interfere it." Felicity replied.

"You are still angry at me. That tone doesn't suit you Felicity." Oliver said.

"You are an ass, Ollie." Both of them turned at Thea's voice. She was coming towards them quickly. By seeing her face you could say that she was angry beyond words. Her face was red. And Tommy came running after her.

"What did I do this time, speedy?" Oliver asked in a wary voice.

"You idiot…!" Thea shouted on the way.

"Thea, language..!" Felicity got William out of Oliver's hands.

"I can't believe that you left your injured mother to go to a dinner with that woman, Ollie." Thea spat.

"What?" Felicity asked. Oliver grimaced.

"Speedy…"

"Your son was waiting for you to come home, Ollie. Felicity and I were waiting for you."

"I didn't know…"

"Even if they weren't here, you left me here to look after our mom Ollie, while you were having fun with Helena Bertinelli." Thea's words cut through Felicity. She held William tightly. So, Oliver went out with a woman last night. He is certainly returning to his former ways and she had just convinced Thea to give him a chance and not judge him for his former self, last night.

"Speedy, it was a business dinner." Oliver said in a desperate voice.

"Is that so, Ollie? Then where did you spend your night? Huh? Then why the internet is full of your photos where you going to a hotel room with Helena in your arms, wearing the same dress you are wearing now?" Thea asked.

Oliver let his hand through his hair.

"Speedy. What I do at my nights is none of your business."

"It becomes my business when you hurt people around me, Ollie. What would mom think if she saw this? Did you think once what Felicity would feel when she gets to know that you are screwing around again?"

"Thea…" Felicity didn't want to hear this.

"I'm not in a relationship with Felicity. It's not like I'm cheating on her. There is nothing between us, Speedy. Stop trying to be the matchmaker. I and Felicity is never going to happen. And my relationship with any other woman is none of your business. I don't care what goes in media. It is something I have hired a PR team for. They will handle it. You don't have to fire up about it." Oliver said.

Felicity was hurt. She clutched William and looked at Thea.

"We are leaving Thea. I'll call you tomorrow."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

It was two weeks after the night with Helena. Oliver didn't meet Felicity after that morning encounter. Every time he went to her house, she has left to the office or was in her study room. William told him that she was very busy these days.

He wanted to see her. To talk to her. He knew the way he behaved last two times he met her were bad.

The things with Helena were also taking the down turn. She turned out to be a killer, who was hell bent on revenge. Oliver tried to reason with her and make her see sense but it was not successful. She was a psychopath. Diggle also commented about it and warned him. Yet being the idiot he was he believed that he could save Helena. Now he knows better. The only thing he has accomplished by being with Helena was getting in the bad book of Thea, having his name again in the newspapers as the old playboy womanizer and hurting Felicity.

He knew he hurt her, again.

Oliver sighed.

"Hello, Can I come in Mr. I-screwed-up-again Queen?"Oliver snapped his head at Tommy's voice at the door.

"You are already inside Tommy." Oliver grunted.

Tommy chuckled and came in and stood beside Oliver who was standing facing the outside near the window.

"So, what gave you this brooding face, except for the all that 'drama' with Helena?" Tommy asked.

"You mean 'The drama' where the media went nuts with me seeing with Helena or Thea giving me hell on the same topic? I mean nothing happened between me and Helena for god's sake. We kissed once. That's it. I took her to a hotel room because she was drunk and has had a fight with her father and asked me to help her to a room. " Oliver said.

"I mean the latter of course; I don't care what happens outside our home Ollie. But are you seriously saying that nothing happened between you two? Tommy asked incredulously.

"No man. Nothing happened. I didn't want to sleep with her. She is too much like me. broken and damaged. Raging with anger. I just wanted to help her. I spent my night on her couch." Oliver said exasperatedly.

"Okay, let's put that aside for a while. But I'm also asking about Felicity avoiding you." Tommy said sitting on Oliver's bed.

"How do you know that…. Diggle should not discuss what I do or who I meet with others." Oliver was not angry, but irritated.

"He didn't tell me anything. You should know him better than that Ollie. I know the fact that Felicity was avoiding you because every time I invited her to dinner here for past two weeks, she declined and Barry told me that Felicity said yes when he asked her out." Tommy said.

Oliver felt a pang of anger at Barry. He was a bragging little brat.

"So what? Felicity and William often go to dinners with Barry. Actually they had planned to go out the day Will got hurt, but had to postpone it. So, naturally they will be going on the plan again." Oliver didn't want to show Tommy that he cared at all.

"No man, It's only Barry and Felicity going out. As in a date. Barry has been pining for Felicity for a long time. She always was on the brake paddle. Now something has happened that she has realized that she has to move on and finally she has said 'yes' to Barry. Barry was ecstatic. He called me from Central city and told me the good news." Tommy chuckled at the memory.

Oliver was angry now. That Barry…!

He should have glared at him more prominently when he met him.

"And that's why I'm here. To kick your ass and to get your head out of it." Tommy said.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked him.

"I mean, why are you letting her go, Ollie? Again?" Tommy asked.

"She was never mine to let go, Tommy." Oliver replied.

"Don't throw that line on me Ollie. We both know that she is the best thing happened to you ever. She loved you and cared for you. We went through this once before you went on that wretched ship. I and Thea tried to make you see sense, but you were too stupid and too stubborn to see it. I thought now after four years you would have much more respect towards life and relationships. Maybe I am wrong again." Tommy was angry and he did nothing to hide it.

Oliver sighed.

"Tommy, I don't want to discuss this now."

"Oh, no Queen. You have to discuss this now, because I'm not going to sit there and see you and Felicity going through that again."

Tommy got up from the bed and thumped his foot.

"Why do you think that it would be the same again, Tommy? May be this Barry will be perfect for her. May be she would be happy. He will make her happy, which is something I was never able to do." Oliver said.

"Don't sell yourself short, Ollie. You made her happy. It's just that you destroyed that happiness all by yourself."

"Why are you upset over this Tommy? You are the one who told me, no warned me to stay away from Felicity. So why now changing the side?" Oliver asked.

"I wanted Felicity to be happy. She was happy with you, Ollie. And of course she will be happy with Barry too. He is good for her. But do you know what the difference is Oliie? You were happy with her too. And she was happy because you were happy. She loved you and still loves you. She'll never be happy if you are in pain. We all saw how hard you tried to show the world that splitting with her didn't affect you. But it did and you never fooled us. We were all there and we saw it."

"I never loved her."

"Yeah, you said so. But did you really mean it? Ever? You never wanted to live with us Ollie. You hated it here. That's why you never came to stay here. After the holidays you almost ran to Russia. Because there was nothing here you wanted to stay for. But, last time you stayed."

"It had nothing to do with Felicity. I settled here, because I was asked to, by Bratva. It was an assignment. I had to stay here and find out the person who was bleeding Brtava. I hadn't even met her then."

"Yeah, but you enjoyed being here that time."

"Of course, I enjoyed it. For the first time I was involved in family business. I wanted to build my name here. I liked working in the company."

"And yet you didn't like her?"

"Look Tommy. I admit that I liked her. A lot for that matter. She was special. She was more than special. She was the first person who saw me for the man who I was. She stood up to me and called my bullshit. She also believed in my abilities and helped me to get hold of business. But as you and all the others had pointed out, I hurt her. Again and again. What proof is there, that I won't screw it up this time too? I'm too damaged. She is too good for me." Oliver's words were laced with pain.

Tommy sighed and came to Oliver's side. He touched Oliver's shoulder and squeezed it.

"Ollie, you have to stop repeating your mistakes. I thought that it was the whole point of you being the 'Arrow'. That you are correcting your and your father's mistakes. But, it doesn't make sense if you are repeating the same wrongs you committed before. May be the proportions are different. But, you don't want to fail this city. Why do you think that you will fail Felicity?"

"Because I don't deserve her, Tommy." Oliver shouted at Tommy. His eyes were blazing with blue fire.

"I don't deserve her. She is too precious. I'm not worthy of her." Oliver repeated in a much lower level.

"Oh, Ollie…" Tommy again sat on Oliver's bed.

"Did you know that she put herself in danger to help me, Tommy?" Oliver asked Tommy. Tommy seemed to be surprised with that bit of information.

"No. What did she do?" He asked.

"I asked her to search into some accounts of QC, because I felt that there was something weird going on with them. Some money was missing." Oliver said looking through the window at their garden.

"And…?" Tommy prompted.

"And she had looked into it, and had found an address of a warehouse which was very suspiciously bought by the missing money. Do you know what she did after finding that information? She went ahead, visited and checked the abandoned warehouse alone. Without even telling me."

"Oh.."

"Yeah. And do you know what concern me most Tommy? She went there alone. She put herself at risk for me. For something I asked her to do. What if there was someone when she went there? What would have happened if she had crossed someone dangerous? What would have happened and how would I bare that? What would happen to William? What am I going to tell William, Tommy? That I put his mom at risk? That I couldn't protect his mom?" Oliver was drawn in the moment. He couldn't even imagine what would have happened if something went wrong there.

Tommy was silent. He was trying to process Oliver's words and the feelings hidden inside the words.

"William already has lost his mother once. He is lucky that he got Felicity. I am his father and I'm running around the city shooting arrows at criminals at night. Every time I am leaving Will for the day I hope that it won't be my last time to see him. Every night when I say goodnight to him, I wish that I will be able to see him next morning. But one day I won't be able to do that Tommy. One night I'll be bleeding in a dark alley, to death and I won't be able to see my son or Felicity again. I know that. And I will not be responsible for taking Felicity away from him too. My son doesn't deserve that. I won't risk her life. Ever." Oliver said.

"So, that's why you are pushing her away?" Tommy understood.

"If I let her near me or my crusade, she will insist of helping me. I know she wants to help me. But I'm afraid to ask for help again. I can't risk it. It's better that she is hating me and alive than helping me and dead. She already risked her life for me when she kept silent after knowing that I was the Bratva captain she was helping the SCPD to catch. If the Bratva had the littlest whim that she was 'the oracle' she would be dead now. I don't want something similar to happen again."

"I wanted to ask you about that Ollie. How the Bratva let her go? Just like that." Tommy voiced something that had bothered him for a long time.

"I stopped them going after her." Oliver simply said. But Tommy sensed that there was more than that to it.

"How?" He asked.

"They wanted to catch the oracle. They wouldn't have stopped until they had the oracle's dead body burned to ash in front of them. So I gave them a body to burn." Oliver said.

"You did what?" Tommy exclaimed.

"I found a man who had betrayed Bratva a long time before and had him killed and produced to the leadership as the oracle."

"But he was not the oracle." Tommy said.

"Says who? Dead bodies don't talk, Tommy. And it helped that after his death the Oracle's actions had stopped."

"Because Felicity left the city." Tommy put one into one.

"Yes." Oliver confirmed.

"You killed for her." Tommy said.

"I killed for her safety. And I will do it again if I had to. There was no choice." Oliver said in a determined voice.

"You loved her even then." Tommy murmured.

"I didn't…" Oliver stopped in his track and looked at Tommy. His eyes were widened with the realization. Tommy stared at him silently challenging Oliver to deny it.

"I loved her." Oliver whispered.

They both stayed silent for a moment letting the words sink.

Then Tommy got up from the bed.

"Thank god, we finally settled it. Now we just have to find out that do you still love her. And I already know the answer, But, I think it's better if you find out that alone."

Oliver didn't say anything. He was too shocked to verbalize his feelings.

"I'm going to Laurel's Ollie. Call me if you need any advice on how to get back the woman who you once pushed away. I'm an expert on that topic. And for your information, Barry is taking Felicity to a very famous Italian restaurant near the port tonight. I hope you could find the name. Bye."

With that little information Tommy left.

….

So here he was. Perching on the rooftop of a small shop which is closed for the night, hiding among the shadows and watching at a certain couple sitting near the window of the neighboring restaurant.

Oliver couldn't hear what they were discussing, through the closed glass windows. But he could clearly see Felicity and Barry from his spot.

They came here half an hour ago and already had gone through the starters. Oliver watched them entering the restaurant and sitting near the window where he had found earlier to be booked by Barry.

Felicity was gorgeous in a blue dress which showed her prominent curves and Barry was wearing a suit with matching blue tie. Had they matched their dresses intentionally? Oliver pondered for a moment and found out that he didn't care.

Barry had ordered red wine for Felicity and now she was sipping a glass. This Barry knows Felicity very well. Oliver thought to himself. Felicity loves red wine. Oliver remembered one time when she worked with him as his secretary they had celebrated a newly finished project and she had revealed him that she liked red wine best. And since then Oliver has always ordered red wine for their celebrations and even had used it as a bribe material once or twice when she was angry at him.

Felicity and Barry were having fun clearly. Felicity was laughing at something Barry said and Oliver felt a sudden burn in his gut seeing her eyes twinkling with amusement at Barry.

Barry was grinning like a love sick puppy. He thought,

There was a time when she used to laugh with him like that. She used to make fun of his broody face and always managed to get him smile with her animated babbling. Once Thea had mentioned that to him and he had thoroughly denied that. Thea dismissed him by just saying that they all had eyes.

Felicity was talking nonstop and Barry was just drowning in her words. The conversation between them seemed to have changed to something serious and Felicity was suddenly a lot sober and serious.

Oliver watched her rubbing a tissue to her eyes and trying to stop her tears. He wanted to go there and punch Barry for making her cry.

And Barry took her hand in his and covered it with both hands. He held them until she recovered. Felicity made no attempt to take them back. May be she is not crying for something Barry said, Oliver thought.

Even after she wiped her tears and smiled at something Barry said, Barry didn't let her hands go and Oliver couldn't take his eyes from their joined hands. They looked as if they belonged together. No they didn't. Felicity certainly didn't belong with that Barry. Oliver's mind supplied.

They had their main course and went through dessert. Oliver watched Felicity savoring her dessert and wished that he could be closer to her, to watch and hear her satisfied moans. Barry was certainly enjoying them. He could say that when he saw the smug smile on Barry's face.

He wanted to strangle that boy until he choked his breath.

Then they got up to leave and Oliver readied to follow them. He knew Barry was taking Felicity to her home and it didn't sit well with him.

He got into his ducati and took some short cuts and reached Felicity's apartment before the couple. This felt like he was stalking her but this was necessary evil, Oliver convinced himself.

They arrived ten minutes after and Barry took Felicity's arm and led her to her door. Oliver was standing near the wall of the apartment and was covered by the shadows again. He watched them quietly.

"Then, I'll leave you here Felicity. Thanks for accepting my offer. I really enjoyed this night. Hopefully we will be able to do this more frequently and I promise to take you out to a Chinese restaurant next time I come to the star city." Barry said leaning on her door frame when Felicity opened her door.

Felicity gave him a bright smile.

"I would like that Barry. I enjoyed the night too. I'll look forward to your next visit. It is always a pleasure spending time with you." She returned.

Barry stood very close to her and Oliver watched as they stared into each other's eyes.

Barry leaned towards Felicity and Oliver couldn't watch it further. He took his phone and dialed Felicity's land phone number. The phone started ringing just a moment before Barry's lips touched Felicity's and Felicity jumped back.

"The phone… It's ringing. I better get to it before it awakes Will. Thank you for the dinner Barry. I'll see you next time. Call me when you returned home." Felicity said in a very awkward manner and Barry accepted defeat and gave her a kiss on the cheek and left.

Oliver hung the call before Felicity reached the phone and gave himself a high five in his mind.

That's it. He has to get his act together and talk to Felicity. He has to apologize to her for acting as a jerk and has to make her understand that he can't risk her life and lose her. And he has to explain her about the situation with Helena. Oliver prepared his to do list in his mind and left for the foundry.

He had so much frustrations piled up inside him and has to direct them somewhere else.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Felicity wanted to talk to Oliver. It was not a difficult task considering the fact that Oliver is practically living his life outside the QC and foundry, in her home, with her son. Oliver visited before going to the office in the morning and he came there just before 9 p.m. every day to tuck William to his bed.

Felicity knew he was giving her space after the last encounters between them. She knew that he asked about her every day. William and Raisa made sure that she knew it. They were not indifferent to the tension between them. William even tried to make her sit and watch 'finding Nemo' with Oliver and him. Yet it was in vain since Oliver got a call from the office and had to go to the QC. Felicity watched the film with Tommy and Roy instead.

Yet she was reluctant to have a conversation with him. She was afraid that it would go downward for William if she had another argument with Oliver.

Felicity was currently sitting on her couch and watching the newest episode of 'Doctor Who' and William was safely sleeping in his room. It was one of these days when Raisa took a holiday and went to see her niece in Central city.

It was way past midnight and Felicity was up and unsettled. The sleep was way away from her.

She was tired. Her day was very busy and she had to drop Barry at the train station also.

She thought about her date with Barry last night. It was nice and comfortable. Felicity always liked Barry's company. He was a fun loving gentle guy.

They were so alike. They both loved science and both shared the interest of books and movies. They had connected so well since from their first meet.

Barry's parents had died when he was a little boy and he had been adopted by West family since then. It was like Felicity's story too. The Wests had given Barry a family just as Merlins have given a one to Felicity.

Barry had fallen in love with Iris West and being the shy guy he was, he had been kind of slow to reveal his love to Iris. And when he finally decided to tell Iris that he loves her, Iris has fallen in love with someone else.

Not much unlike Felicity's story. At least Felicity told Oliver that she loved him and had a time to be with him. But Barry never had to go through the pain of being rejected by the person who he loves.

And now, Barry wants to move on. Just like her, he wants to try with someone else. So Felicity thought to give it a chance.

Yes, it was good that they tried dating. Operative word being 'tried'.

After that date, Felicity was heartbroken. Because she felt nothing. Nope. Nothing as in 'nada'.

No tingling of skin that she felt each and every time Oliver was near her.

No butterflies in the gut that she felt when Oliver looked at her through his ridiculously long lashes.

No increase of heart rate that she felt when Oliver leaned to her face to kiss her.

Nope. Nothing.

She was comfortable with him. But no thrilling reaction or action for that matter.

She sighed.

They were perfectly perfect for each other but both of them didn't want that perfection. They both wanted to be with the people they loved.

Barry and she agreed on that before he got on the train. There will be no more dates for them. They were perfect as just friends.

Her train of thoughts was broken by a beeping sound.

Her cellphone rang.

"Hello." She answered with the third ring wondering why Tommy is calling her at this hour.

"Hello Liz, Are you awake?" Tommy's voice rang on her ear.

"Yes. That would explain why I answered the phone on this ungodly hour, Tommy." Felicity replied.

"Oh, good. Then can you open the door, please? I'm at your doorstep." Tommy said.

"What?" Felicity asked while getting up from the couch. She opened the door to find a very disturbed looking Tommy standing outside. She let him come inside and closed the door after hm.

"What are you doing here, at this hour Tommy?" she asked after waiting for him to settle in her couch and took the seat near the couch.

"What, Lizz? You hurt me. I thought that your home was always open for me. Can't I come here to visit my nephew?" He asked her in a teasing voice. But Felicity sensed the hurt he tried to hide behind the humor. Tommy was going through something.

"Of course, my home is always open for you, Tommy. But I don't remember you coming here after midnight ever. And if you wanted to see your nephew, you should have come before he goes to sleep, not 03 hours past it." Felicity said.

Tommy didn't say anything. Felicity offered him a glass of red wine she was having and he took it eagerly and gulped it once. Yes. Some thing was definitely wrong.

"Okay. Humor time is over. Tommy, tell me why you are here?" Felicity asked after a few minutes when she realized that Tommy is not going to tell her anything unless she pulled it out of his mouth.

"I.. I and Laurel… We broke up." Tommy replied with a sigh.

Felicity couldn't say that she didn't see this coming. She knew that something was wrong between two of them. Everyone noticed that they were not behaving as a couple lately. But Felicity didn't think that they wouldn't be able to solve it between two of them. After all Tommy and Laurel went through a lot and they stood beside each other each and every time.

"What happened?" She asked.

"We realized that we expect impossible from each other." Tommy shrugged.

"Don't give me that look, Tommy. Cut the crap and tell me what happened." Felicity insisted.

Tommy slumped on the seat.

"Laurel can't get over our past, Liz. She says she got over that and we make plans for a future together and next thing I know is that she is again going after Oliver. She is obsessed about him. I don't know what to do. I thought we were in a good place, but ever since Oliver returned Laurel has made it her mission to hurt him and remind him of his betrayal of her trust every time she gets a chance. Do you want to know who leaked the media about Oliver's dinner with Helena? Dang! It's Laurel. I found out this yesterday. I confronted her and she doesn't regret what she did. She says that he deserves it. I asked her to let it go. But she doesn't listen to me. I can't do this anymore."

Tommy was going on and on. Felicity felt bed for him. Laurel was a complicated character. She knew that there was a lot behind her cool façade.

"May be you should give her some space, Tommy. Oliver's return was a shock to everyone. Laurel was also affected by it. And William's presence made the things worse. She is daily reminded that not only her sister is dead but her ex-boyfriend who constantly cheated on her was kind of responsible for that. That's a big luggage to carry around." Felicity tried to reason.

"But that doesn't give her a right to control me, Liz. I'm not her lap dog. She has to understand that there is a limit for everything. She can't tell me what to do. 'Tommy, don't do that.' 'Tommy, don't go there.' 'Tommy, don't spend time with them.' She can't expect me to ask permission from her to do everything. And she can't hurt my brother and my family like that. There is a limit."

"Yes. But I thought you knew that she was a bit control loving person, Tommy. And I'm sure that you two can solve that problem by opening up with each other. You have to give some things up when you are in a relationship. So why can't you discuss this with her and come to a compromise? I'm sure that this is not a reason to be away from someone you love. I mean, you two are engaged. How can you break up with her without even trying to fix it once?" Felicity touched Tommy's hand which was on the couch arm and gave it a supporting squeeze.

Tommy sighed.

"It is not simple as it looks, Liz. We won't make it again. There is no hope."

"Why do I get the feeling that you are not telling me everything, Tommy? What did happen that you think that it is not even possible to be back with her?"

Felicity felt that there was more to it. Tommy looked uncomfortable for the first time at her home.

"She thinks that I'm having an affair with you behind her back." Tommy's words stopped the inside babble Felicity had in her mind.

"What?" she was appalled.

"She thinks that I'm having an affair with you behind her back." He repeated, slowly this time.

Felicity blinked, trying to process his words.

"And you came to my home right after she accused you of having an affair with me?" She asked in an incredulous tone.

"Yep." He returned.

"Tommy!" Felicity exclaimed.

"What, Liz? I told you, she can't control me. I won't let her decide who I am spending my time with."

"But…"

"If you don't want me sitting here in your home, I will leave, Liz." Tommy got up from the couch.

"No, stay. I'm not trying to kick you out of my home, Tommy. I'm just concern about you. I don't want to come between you and Laurel. You two love each other. You can't just break up like that." Felicity took Tommy's hand and led him back to the couch.

"I don't want to break up either, Liz. But we both need time. We both need space. So I'm giving her that. She has to get her shit together. And I don't want to talk about it anymore. Can I spend my night here in your couch?" Tommy asked.

Felicity knew that she has to stop her interrogation now. Tommy wasn't going to tell anything anymore. He has shut down. It was like the default state of two brothers. When they decided on to shut up, there was no chance of getting them to talk again.

She sighed and got up from her seat.

"Wait, I'll get you a blanket."

After helping Tommy to settle down in her living room Felicity went to bed, to retire for the day.

…

It was 6.00 a.m. and Felicity's was awoken by her alarm. She got up from the bed and stepped towards her kitchen in a sleepy stupor. It was strange that Will is asleep yet. Normally he was the one who wakes her up at the morning. But with his medication for the broken arm these days he was sleeping a bit longer and Felicity was gifted a few minutes of more sleep.

She was making her morning coffee when the doorbell rang.

With the coffee cup in her hand she went to the door and opened it to see a very charming Oliver Queen at her door.

"Good morning, Felicity." He greeted her with a warm smile.

"Good morning Oliver. You are early today." Felicity greeted back and opened the door to let him inside.

Oliver stepped in and gave her a paper bag which smelled like fresh muffins.

"I thought of bringing you breakfast. I know that Raisa is out of town." He replied to her inquiring gaze.

"Thank you. But I would have made something." Felicity said.

"Let's just say that I don't want my son to be food poisoned, Felicity." Oliver teased her.

"I'm not that bad of a cook, Oliver." Felicity scoffed.

Oliver chuckled.

"Tell that to someone who hasn't eaten something you've made. You can't cook to save your life Felicity."

She didn't oppose him this time. He was right. She was a bad cook. William always chose yoghurt for breakfast if she cooked the meal. Yes, she was that bad.

They entered the living room and that's when Felicity remembered the person who was currently sleeping on her couch. Tommy was fast asleep. Apparently this was way before the usual wake up time of the Merlin heir.

Oliver saw the sleeping figure and raised his right brow at her in question.

"He came at midnight. He and Laurel have broken up." Felicity knew that she doesn't have to explain anything to Oliver. Yet, she didn't want him too to think that there was something going on between her and Tommy. It was bad that Laurel alone thought that.

Oliver gave her a tight smile.

"Do you know why?" he asked.

Felicity thought about it. Should she tell him what Tommy told her last night? It was not her place to tell that to Oliver. She decided.

"I think you should ask him about it, Oliver." She said.

Oliver nodded in understanding.

"Yeah. I think I should. Especially because it concerns you and me both." His words made Felicity curious.

"Why do you think that it has anything to do with you or me?" she asked.

Oliver went towards her kitchen. She followed him.

"Because I know it is." He said going to her kitchen and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

She waited until he settled on a stool near the island.

"How?" she asked.

Oliver looked at her with his deep blue eyes straightly.

"I met Laurel yesterday. She mentioned that she thinks that there is something going on between you and Tommy." Oliver didn't show any feelings on his face.

Felicity sighed. What is with Laurel? Did she put her ridiculous accusations on newspapers too?

"I'm not in an affair with Tommy." Felicity whispered.

"I know." Oliver returned.

She stared at him. Oliver was serious.

"How?" she wanted to know.

"I know you." He replied.

"Just like that?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just like that." He returned.

They stared at each other. Both deep in the sensation of the realization. The moment stopped between them.

Felicity tried to read the emotions in his eyes. Trust, determination, clarity,… and is that love?

Oliver was the one who broke the connection first.

"I wanted to talk to you Felicity. I want to explain some things."

Felicity felt peacefulness settle in her heart. They were back to being friends. It was like before all the things happened between them. They used to talk to each other with trust in their hearts.

"Go ahead." She gave him the permission.

"I…" Oliver stuttered.

Felicity waited patiently.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you that day at my home. I should have listen to you and let you explain. But I acted as an ass and hurt you… again. I'm sorry Felicity." He said in a voice full of regret.

Felicity started but Oliver interrupted her.

"Let me finish first, please."

She nodded letting him continue.

"I want you to know that I didn't want you involved in Arrow business and other things related to that account, is not because that I don't trust you. I do, Felicity. I trust you. There is no one else that I trust as I trust you. But it was because I don't want you to get hurt because of me or my crusade. I can't risk your life. You are too precious to me. I've lost people close to me. I don't want to lose you too. And I don't want William to lose his mother again. I know the pain of losing your mom, the pain of not having her with you. I don't want my son to go through it. I don't want him to feel that unloved. To know that your parents chose their happiness over you. To know that you are not at top of their priority list. It hurts, Felicity. It hurts like hell. I don't want Will to be in that position ever. He needs you. I can't take you away from him. I won't forgive myself ever if you were hurt because of me again."

Oliver's words left her speechless.

Yes, she was angry at him for not letting her to help him. She was angry that he thought that she can't protect herself. For thinking that she wouldn't be able to handle it.

She has done that before. For god's sake she was way senior in this business than him. She was helping the police to catch criminals since she was sixteen.

But now she understood. She understood his fears. She realized that they were based on his own fears. On his own loneliness and feelings for her.

"I… I just wanted to help you Oliver." She managed to utter.

'And I need your help. God knows that I can't do this alone. Even with Diggle's help and Tommy's understanding, I need you Felicity. But as I said before, I can't put you in danger. I want to be 100% sure that you will be safe and protected if I ever let you to be a part of this. I want to be sure that you won't ever do things behind me, like going in to abandoned buildings alone." Oliver stated.

"I won't do that again." Felicity said. There was a little shimmer of hope flamed in her heart. He was going to let her help him.

"And you must promise that you will never put yourself at risk to help me, even if I was dying." Oliver said.

Felicity staggered.

"No, I won't promise that Oliver. I can't promise you that. William needs his father too, you know. He will have us both forever if I had any say in that." She said.

"Felicity…"

"No, Oliver. I will try my best to be safe and not in danger, but I can't promise you that I will not put myself there if you were in a mortal danger. It's my life. My choice."

Oliver stared at her with hard eyes, trying to intimidate her into his decision and she held the gaze.

Finally he caved in.

They drank their coffee silently until William barreled to the kitchen along with a very sleepy looking Tommy.

"Good morning mommy. Daddy you are early today." William jumped into Oliver's hands.

"Good morning to you too, champ." Oliver replied him giving a kiss to his hairline.

Felicity kissed William's hand and Gave Tommy a cup of coffee poured.

"I thought you two were in not talking state still." Tommy said giving a questioning glance to Felicity.

"We cleared the things between us." Felicity stated.

"Not everything, I guess." Tommy gave a similar glance to Oliver.

Felicity saw Oliver stiffening at Tommy's words. What was he talking about?

"Felicity will help me with the 'pointy thing' we do at night and she promised to stay safe and out of trouble as she could." Oliver apparently ignored whatever thing Tommy tried to bring to light.

"How much do I wish that you mean something else by the words 'pointy thing we do at night', Ollie." Tommy smirked and Felicity felt her face flushing from embarrassment.

"Your mind is always in the gutter, Tommy. And I refuse to take back my words." Oliver said in a playful voice.

Felicity missed this playfulness in Oliver. These days he was too serious.

Apparently William was not happy with the way things going. He always wanted to be in the center of his parents' attention.

"Daddy, I wanted you to see the new helicopter model uncle Barry brought for me. It's beautiful." He said tugging Oliver's hand towards the door.

"I think that's my cue to leave. I have to go home and prepare for the day. I have to face our director board today, as dad is not in the country." Tommy got up from his seat and Felicity went near him.

"Tommy…" Felicity started and Oliver left with William in his hands giving two of them a chance to talk in private.

"I'm sorry for getting you involved in my messes, Liz." Tommy said.

"It's not your fault that Laurel is like that, Tommy. I think you both need time to think things through." Felicity dismissed his apology.

"I have to talk with Ollie too. I can't be sure that Laurel won't go to him as well with her ridiculous stories." Tommy said.

"Umm… Actually Tommy, Laurel has talked to Oliver. He told me that just before." Felicity didn't know any other way to tell this to Tommy.

Tommy looked at the ceiling at shut his eyes trying to control his emotions.

"I'm so sorry, Liz. I don't know what to do. May be I should talk to Ollie right now. I'll explain this to him. I don't want to mess things between you two. You are finally in a good place and I won't let Laurel to destroy it." Tommy said as he stepped towards the door.

"You don't have to, Tommy. I talked with Oliver and even I didn't have to explain him anything. He didn't believe Laurel." Felicity said.

"What?" Tommy was confused.

"Yes, he said he knows me." She replied.

"He said that?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah."

Tommy smiled at her reply.

"Yeah. It makes sense. He knows you. Just like the way you know him. It's simple as that." He said.

Felicity didn't say anything but gave him a replying smile.

"And, as a parting gift, I would like to suggest you to ask him about Helena. I think it's time that you two clear all the misunderstandings between you." Tommy said.

"Tommy, I don't think…" Felicity's appeal was dismissed by Tommy.

"Trust me on this, Liz. Just ask him."

He left with that last remark.

After a while Oliver came to the living room where Felicity was sitting while working on her tablet.

"I'll come at night before Will goes to sleep, Felicity." He said as he took his coat from the seat.

"I… I wanted to ask you about something Oliver." Felicity didn't know how to start the conversation.

Oliver came near her. She felt the butterflies who were nowhere to find when she was near Barry, creating havoc in her gut.

"What is it, Felicity?" Oliver asked in a barely audible voice. Apparently he was also affected by their nearness.

"I wanted to know… about Helena. I know it is not my business to ask you about that. But, I know about her. I mean anyone who worked in crime field knows about her. She is from Italian mafia. And she has double crossed the mafia by working with FBI too. Is it wise for you to be seen with her in public? I mean she is a little dangerous herself." Felicity knew she was rambling.

Oliver studied her for a moment.

"Is this way of your asking me if I'm having a relationship with Helena?" He asked her.

"I… I… Yes." Felicity couldn't deny the fact that it was the thing that was making her suffer worst.

Oliver didn't say anything once, but he took step a forward into her personal space.

He leaned towards her and Felicity's breath hitched at throat.

"I did not sleep with her Felicity. I just helped her into her room in her drunken mode. I'm not in any kind of affair with her. It was just a business date I attended as a VP of QC." He said. His breath tickled her ear. Felicity let the breath she was holding go.

"Why?" She turned her head upward and looked at his face. Her ocean blue eyes boring into his depths.

"Why not sleep with her?" He wanted to clarify.

Felicity nodded her head as in 'yes'.

He touched her cheek with his fingers. She felt a shiver running through her spine.

"Because when you are in love with someone, the last thing you want to do is cheating on her. Even if you are not in a relationship with her it feels like cheating." He said with a soft smile.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Her blue eyes gleamed in the rays of sunshine coming into the room through windows.

They stared at Oliver with a mixture of emotions. Oliver tried to dissect the exact composition of her feelings. There was anticipation, excitement, shyness, kindness, fear and mostly hope.

The hope of a new day, a new existence and a new reality.

Oliver leaned towards Felicity, diminishing the gap between their bodies and inhaling her soft baby soap smell.

Oliver just hoped that this would be the first step towards a new life, a future shared by both of them and a little five year old boy.

"Are you two going to kiss?"

They were interrupted rudely by the said five years old.

They jumped apart and looked startled towards their intruder. William was staring at them questioningly, his hands on his hips.

' _Busted by my own son'_ was the first thought came into Oliver's mind. Felicity had turned into deep red shade. They were looking at their son as if they were teenagers who were caught for kissing in front of the school principal.

"Well…" he started.

"I'll get ready for the office. It's getting late." Felicity bolted from the room in quick strides.

"Were you going to kiss my mom?" William asked again standing with the same posture.

"Yes.." Oliver replied. _Why is William looking like he is pissed?_ Oliver thought to himself.

"Are you going to hurt her again?" William asked.

"What?" Oliver was confused.

"Why were you going to kiss her?" William was very serious. Oliver understood. His son wanted a family very badly. He wanted them to be together. But at the same time, he loved Felicity fiercely. He was afraid of his mother getting hurt again.

"I love her, Will. I won't hurt her again."Oliver stepped forward and took his son into his arms.

"Promise?" The blue eyes stared into the identical pair.

"Promise." Oliver sealed the promise with a kiss to his child's temple.

"Will, you have to brush your teeth before Aunty Thea comes to take you out for breakfast." Felicity came into the room again with a tooth brush in her hands.

"Okay, mommy." William leaped from Oliver's hold and took the tooth brush and rushed to the bathroom.

"Thea is coming?" Oliver raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah. She and Roy promised to babysit William today, since Raisa won't be here until next Monday." Felicity came to him and there were hundred questions in her eyes. Oliver knew they had to talk. They have to take a break and sit and have a talk on where they were going. Very soon.

"I'll see you tonight after work. Maybe we can share a meal and discuss things after Will goes to sleep?" Oliver asked gently. He wanted Felicity to be comfortable about this. She looked directly into his eyes and considered his offer.

"Okay." She nodded smiling softly. Oliver felt like fist pumping, but constrained himself.

"Okay then. See you tonight." He turned to leave.

"Have a nice day." Felicity's voice was ringing through his mind even when he was driving to the office.

…

The day was going well until Tommy came to Oliver's office room and put a small black note book on his hand. Yes, it was identical to the one he had. Oliver had kept his little black note book from the Queen's vault at the bank, which was only could be retrieved by a Queen, so this could not be it.

"What is this, Tommy?" He asked Tommy, who looked grim as if he had swallowed a foul thing.

"It's a note book, which has a list of names which has very alarming similarity to the name list of the people you are going after." Tommy answered.

"It has a list?" Oliver asked. His notebook also had a list but it was visible only after he heated the pages.

"Yeah, at first it looked like a blank one. But I showed it to Felicity just before I came here. And she managed to unravel the mystery by simply looking at it using a UV glasses in dark. It has your list. So here I am." Tommy sat in the seat in front of Oliver uncomfortably.

Oliver couldn't stop the smile upturning his lips. Of course, only Felicity would unravel the mystery of the notebook in minutes which had taken days for Oliver to find out.

But the serious look on Tommy's face told Oliver that this doesn't end up here. So he moved on with the matter.

"Where did you get this?" Tommy visibly flinched with his question.

"Uh huh… That's where this gets complicated Ollie. I saw this or another one like this 04 years ago. Exactly right after you went missing. Your family lawyer came to Mansion and he was going through your family documents which were kept in the bank, with Moira. It made sense because to world's knowledge there was no one left in Queen Family alive. Only we knew about William. And Moira was the one who was mostly related to you. I was there because they need to have a witness. It was a tiresome business." Tommy took a deep breath. Oliver continued the listening.

"This was there and the lawyer thought that a blank note book is something very uncommon to be kept in a bank vault. So he wanted to further check on it but Moira was strictly against it. She joked that it may be a gift to her from Robert since it represented their relationship, full of nothing and requested to keep it with her. The lawyer didn't see anything wrong with that but I felt odd. I mean when did we ever see Moira joking about her personal life? There was something wrong. That book was special. But I forgot about it with all the things going on with the family."

Oliver didn't like where this was going. He knew all about his father's involvement in that list. He didn't think his mother has to do anything with that.

"Today, after I left Felicity's place I went home and was heading to go to Merlin Global when Moira came outside the mansion and asked for a lift to the bank. Her driver was late and apparently she had an important meeting with the bank manager.

So I gave her a lift. She got a call from my dad on the way and she was very edgy after that. She even stumbled when getting out and dropped her hand bag on the way. Then she quickly gathered all the things on the car floor and got out and left hurriedly waving me off. I didn't see this notebook until I reached MG and was getting outside of the car. This was under my leg space and I remembered the first day I saw it.

I was curious. I mean if this was some kind of joke. Why would Moira carry it around in her hand bag? After 04 years? And was she going to put this back in the bank? I was confused and took this at once to Felicity. She is the one who always I can be sure to put some light on mysteries and I was not disappointed by her and here I am in front of you. Huh…" Tommy huffed and leaned on the seat finally looking comfortable.

Oliver tried to process everything Tommy said. His mother and the notebook. Can there be a connection? Her name wasn't in it. He was sure. He had looked.

"I know this is a lot to take in Ollie. But don't you think that it's unusual for this to be in her hands?"

"I know you are right, Tommy. It doesn't feel right. I'll look into it. Thank you for coming here and telling me this." Oliver knew Tommy was right to be concerned. This was important.

"Okay then. I'll leave now. I'm sure there is a lot of paperwork waiting for me at the MG. I don't want to get into trouble with dad for ditching anything important." Tommy got up and turned to leave.

Then he just turned around with a mischievous smile on his face.

"By the way, I think you looked good in Felicity's kitchen this morning. You looked like you belonged there." With that small note Tommy left.

…

The mystery of the Moira's notebook was on Oliver's mind whole day. He didn't want to think that his mom had anything to do with that list. But the notebook was in her possession which implied that at least she knew that it was important.

When he went to Felicity's place at night, Felicity wasn't there. Thea was watching TV with William tucked on her side in the couch and Roy was asleep in his seat.

"Daddy!"

William screeched and jumped out of the couch and ran towards him. This was a usual incident in Oliver's life now. William was always so happy to see him. May be it is because he was still insecure about Oliver's place in his life. But Oliver enjoyed William's love nonetheless.

"Hi, Buddy. How was your day?"

Oliver caught the running child and hugged him.

"Ohhh… It was so good, daddy. Aunty Thea and Uncle Roy took me to the park and we had ice cream after lunch." William beamed.

"Will, I thought that was our secret. You were not supposed to tell that to your parents. Your mother thoroughly stated against giving you ice cream. Now I'm in trouble." Thea came towards them.

William looked upset and turned his cute puppy face on Oliver.

" Daddy, can we keep it as a secret. I don't want Aunt Thea to be in trouble. Mommy will go her loud voice if she is mad."

Oliver chuckled. He knew all about Felicity's loud voice. After all he has been in the receiving end of it a long time ago, when she was working with him. Those were the happy times.

"I will keep it a secret if you promised eat all the fruits I brought you yesterday. I'm so tired and your mommy will be tired when she comes home. So shall we put you into bed?" Oliver asked his son while stepping towards his bedroom.

"Okay, brother dear. Here finishes our baby sitting duty for today. I and Roy will be heading home then. See you tomorrow. Don't drive late night. I have no objections to having our wing to myself tonight." Thea said with a wink and went to wake up the sleeping Roy.

Oliver understood his sister's words. She was insinuating that he could stay at Felicity's tonight. But Oliver was not ready to take that step yet. At least not without Felicity's permission. He didn't want to scare Felicity off. He was afraid that, if she felt like he was pushing too hard she will recoil from him and it will put their relationship in danger again.

He tucked William into his bed and started their daily night time storybook. William always wanted to hear the same story where the mighty archer Robin Hood robbed the rich and distributed the money among the poor villagers. Oliver didn't know when the ritual has started but the first time William asked him to read a story book he had selected a one with princes and kings. But the little boy had stopped him and asked him to read his favorite book, The Robin Hood.

Felicity didn't tell anything about William's selection and Oliver thought maybe it was a regular book she read to him. After one week of reading the same story, Oliver understood that it was the only book William liked to hear from him. When Felicity read for him, he always preferred Harry Potter.

When he was into the third chapter he heard the front door opening and Felicity's heels on the floor. Then after a moment of silent he heard Felicity's soft steps. She had freed her feet from the heels and was bare foot.

She leaned against the doorframe and watching the father-son duo.

Oliver raised his eyes from the book and smiled at her. She looked tired. Yet she was beautiful.

William was in deep sleep. His even breath told him that.

Oliver got up from the bed carefully and as if taking the cue, Felicity came towards the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and softly caressed William's hair. Then she bent and kissed his temple.

Oliver watched the blonde woman who was the love of his life, taking care of his son after a long day at the office. She loved his son. There was no doubt. How were they so much lucky to have her?

….

They had dinner together which Thea had ordered for them and Felicity was nursing a glass of red wine. They were sitting on the floor popped against the back of her couch. Oliver felt relaxed for the first time for the day.

"I really love red wine." Felicity said in a happy voice.

"I know." Oliver replied.

"No, I mean I really love them, like I love Tommy's jokes." Felicity said again trying to explain her love of wine.

Oliver smiled.

"I thought you hated Tommy's jokes."

"No, I like them. I just don't accept that in front of him." She clarified.

Oliver liked the playfulness of her voice. She seemed to be relaxed too.

"What's wrong Oliver?" After a few minute of silence, Felicity asked. Oliver looked at her questioningly.

She shrugged.

"You looked tense when I came home."

"I had a tense day." Oliver replied.

It was time for Felicity to wait for the clarification.

"Tommy came to see me at the office. And he brought the small notebook." Oliver said.

"Oh." She understood the hidden worries.

"Are you worried about that?" she asked him.

Oliver nodded at her.

"How could I not be worried. I have a one similar to that with me too." He said.

"Do you?" she asked.

Oliver set his wine glass on the floor and turned to her.

"You know, I got on that ship to go to China because that was our last resort of options. My dad had screwed up all the connections we had here. He had betrayed Bratva. He had connections with Italian mafia in secret. And he had been double crossing all of them for his gain. I was so angry with him for putting me in that position. Yet I wanted to help him. He was my dad, Felicity. I couldn't not."

"I understand.' She said. So he continued.

"Before getting on that ship, I went to see him and he gave me a small notebook. He told me that I should keep that book safe no matter what. That it was very important. So I had it with me when I shipwrecked and all the time after that."

"One similar to Moira's notebook?" Felicity asked. He nodded again in reply.

"Just two hours before the ship was wrecked, my dad called to my satellite phone. He was in a hurry. He said that that could be the last time I heard his voice. He told me that he loved me and he was sorry that he put my life in danger. And he said that he had failed the city and he was not alone in it. He wanted me to come back home and correct his wrongs. He said the notebook has the names of the people who were behind all these. I wanted to ask him a lot of things, Felicity. But we didn't have much time. After the call I went to my room and discussed the situation with Sara. I wanted to return to Starling city as soon as possible. Then there was a huge blast and all the hell broke loose. We drowned."

Oliver felt relieved that it was out of his chest. He didn't realize that he wanted to tell everything to Felicity so badly.

She tentatively took his hand.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you Oliver."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." He said.

"No, But I'm sorry that you have to go through all of that. I wasn't here to help."

"Again not your fault Felicity. I pushed you out of my life. I chased you away. I hurt you so much that you didn't want to be in my vicinity. I deserved what happened to me."

"No Oliver. No one deserves torture and pain. Don't ever think that you do."

Felicity's eyes were fierce. Oliver felt his heart clenching at her words.

"It took me two weeks to figure out that the list was written in invisible ink. I had to heat it to read it." Oliver said. Felicity smiled.

"I used UV ray glasses." She said.

Oliver smiled in return.

"You are a genius." He said.

 _My genius_. His heart said.

"So, what does it say? Moira knows about this? Or she is involved in it?" Felicity asked.

"I don't know, Felicity. I don't want to think that my mom has to do anything with that devious book. But I can't just throw away the matter as if it doesn't mean anything."

"But we can look for further proof." Felicity said.

"How?"

"We will think of something. Just give your mind a rest."

She was still holding his hand and he didn't want to take it back. He loved the feeling of warmth it brought to him.

They nursed heir wine glasses silently.

"I hated you the first time I saw you." Suddenly Felicity decided to break the silence.

"Yes you did." Oliver remembered the disastrous first meeting.

"You were so arrogant and egoistical." She added.

"I was." He agreed.

"It was the worst first impression I had on someone."

"I also didn't like you at the moment." Oliver said.

"Because I returned your attitude?" She asked.

"No. I didn't like you even before I met you, Felicity."

She looked amused.

"I was living in Russia since I was seven. When I returned here for the holidays, I was welcomed with celebrations. I secretly loved all the attention I got here. I was the long lost son and mom was always gushing over me. Tommy was eagerly waiting for my arrival so we could play together and share one room. Thea was always following me everywhere went. In fact Tommy and Thea quarreled over me. I was the center of their world for a few years. And then you came along."

"I was only eleven years old." Felicity said.

"Yeah, I was sixteen. And suddenly no one was interested in me. They were all talking about the beautiful girl whom my mom had taken under her wings. Thea no longer was following me. She was over the moon that she had a sister now. Tommy was talking non-stop about you. Felicity did this and Felicity did that. And you were even not there. You were in your boarding school. You were given my old room and even though I no longer lived there I hated you for having my place in the family."

"I could never replace you Oliver." Felicity said.

"You did replace me, Felicity. At least in some ways. You were the perfect child my mom wanted. Bright, smart and responsible. You were her girl. She praised you at every chance she got. Even Malcom loved you. He never showed that much interest in me. I started rebelling. I wanted their attention. Any attention. And I got that when I made to the headlines of the newspapers and tabloids."

"You could have talked to Moira."Felicity said.

"I told you, I was never the sensible one in the family." Oliver smiled.

"So, when I saw you for the first time I was angry. Here I was, having dinner with my family after a long time and they all left the dining table when they saw you. They were so happy that you were there. I couldn't stand it. And when I insulted you, you didn't bat an eyelid before returning the favor."

"I was kind of impulsive those days." Felicity blushed.

"And you looked lovely in your element."

"You know, I refused the job as your assistant when Moira offered me it. I told her that after one week she will regret her offer." Felicity said.

"She didn't trust me. That's why she wanted you there." Oliver said.

Felicity neither denied nor agreed to the point.

"And when I started working with you, I realized how smart you really are. You became my right hand Felicity. I depended on you. I didn't realize how much until I lost you."

Oliver's voice trailed at the end. He didn't like to remember the way he hurt her. But they have to clear the air and start with a clean slate if they ever wanted to move ahead.

"It was my fault Oliver. I crossed a line that should never have been crossed."

"No, I blurred the line Felicity. I enjoyed your attention. I loved the fact that I was able to make you blush. I took advantage of the situation and I hurt you in the process."

"We were not ready Oliver. I didn't realize it then but now I know it was never meant to be. The boss and the secretary. It was just a phase."

Oliver flinched at her words.

"You said you loved me." He said.

"I did." She replied.

"I think I loved you too. I just didn't know how to show it. I was scared. I never wanted to fall for you."

Oliver felt her stiffen beside him.

"Do you realize that you just said that you loved me, Oliver?" Felicity turned to him and searched his eyes.

"I do. And I did love you. I just didn't know it then." He said returning her gaze.

Her eyes widened as she processed his words. Oliver knew he went far more than he intended to. But he wanted her to know that her love was never one sided. It was just that she loved an idiot who didn't know his own heart.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Felicity awoke slowly. Never being an early bird, she didn't feel like abandoning the bed for a while. She tried to remember last night. She had wine. Yep. She did. With Oliver.

Oh my god! Oliver! Where is he?

Felicity looked around, suddenly awake. She was in her room, in her bed. He was not here.

How did she come to her bed? The last thing she remembered was talking with Oliver on the floor of her living room while sipping her wine glass. She must have fallen asleep there. Oliver must have put her in bed.

So, the golden question again. Where was he?

All of a sudden she felt like déjà vu. Why this situation does feel familiar?

She in bed, just awoken. Looking for Oliver who was not there for sure.

Yeah. Their first night. Or the only night they slept together.

Felicity felt her heart breaking at the memory. She was just a twenty years old girl who was so much in love with a person she believed to be deserved of that love.

That night was the best night of her life. She and Oliver were like fire in a room full of cotton. They literally flamed up with desire and passion.

They were in love. At least she thought they were.

After an amazing night, they fell asleep tangled together.

And she awoke alone.

Oliver was nowhere to be seen.

Felicity didn't think for a moment that may be Oliver would have left her there alone. May be he was in the bathroom.

Nope. The bathroom was empty. She could see the opened bathroom door from her room.

May be he would have gone to bring breakfast, or maybe he would be preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

She had got up from the bed and covered herself with the bed sheet. She had gone outside the room and checked the whole pent house and found out that Oliver had left. Without telling her. Anything. He had left her sleeping alone.

Felicity remembered the heart wrenching feeling of isolation. The hurt of being left alone again.

No. Don't go there Felicity. You don't deserve that. Just get up and get yourself together. Don't you dare put yourself through that again! You have to start the day and William will be up in a few minutes if he is not yet. Don't think about Oliver.

Felicity told herself and got up from her bed.

She entered the kitchen in hope of finding her coffee machine and was surprised by a steaming coffee on the kitchen island.

Has Raisa come early?

Her question was answered by the chuckling sound and the squealing came from the living room.

"Oliver?" She couldn't believe her eyes. He was there, on her couch, tickling William. Will was squealing in delight. They must have being up for a sometime if the half eaten sandwiches on the table were evidences.

At her voice, both looked up from their tickling ambush. William was trying to catch his breath while Oliver stared at her with his strikingly bluish eyes. As if he hadn't seen her ever with her morning bed head. May be he hadn't. He was not there. Her inner voice supplied.

But she didn't feel embarrassed. She was too busy staring at him.

"Good morning, mommy!" William's voice broke their intense staring contest.

"Good morning Champ." Felicity greeted her son and went to them. Oliver got up from the couch and came to her. They met in the middle.

Oliver never took his eyes away from her. He

"Hi. Good morning" Felicity felt a shiver running down her spine with his hot breath on her cheek.

"You are here." Felicity mumbled.

Oliver gave her a dazzling smile.

"Of course I'm here, Felicity. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked her.

"You were not…." Felicity stopped herself. There is no point in dwelling in their past. They were both different now. She was not that naïve girl of 20 years and he was not that irresponsible play boy. At least she hoped he was not.

"I wasn't what?" He asked with a frown replacing his earlier smile. She didn't want to reply him and she didn't have to.

"Mommy, did you find your coffee? Daddy made it. He prepared breakfast for us too. We were waiting for you to get up. Daddy said he would stay whole day with us here." William was jumping up and down with excitement.

"Is that so? Then we should definitely spend time with him today, Will." Felicity took the boy into her arms and nuzzled his nose.

"Yeyy… Daddy, can we go to the park today? Will you play with me?" William asked from Oliver.

Oliver gave Felicity a look which definitely said that 'we will revisit this discussion soon', and replied his son with a soft smile.

"Of course buddy. We shall go to the park and I will play with you."

…

"William is having so much fun." Felicity said to Oliver. They were sitting on a bench of the park. Oliver had played with William for nearly an hour. Then he let William play with other children at the park and came and sat beside Felicity where she was watching them.

"Yeah. He is so excited. I don't know how that kid has that much energy. I'm exhausted." Oliver said.

Felicity turned towards him. "What? Is The Arrow exhausted, just after playing with a five year old for an hour?" Her voice had both amusement and tease.

Oliver chuckled.

"I should be thankful that the criminals don't have William's energy. Otherwise I won't be able to keep up."

Felicity sighed contently.

"He is happy. He always wanted a father and now he has you." She said.

"He is happy because now he has both mother and father, Felicity. He is a lucky boy, to have parents who love him so much." Oliver said.

Felicity watched the emotions changing on his face. There was happiness for his son and the sadness of not having the contentment of a loving family in his own childhood. There was joy of being able to be there for his son and the regret of the lost time with him.

"We all have our own burdens in our past Oliver. Don't feel guilty about the things you had no control over." She said.

"I just wish that I could be there for him when he was little, Felicity. I missed so many things in his life. His first smile, his first word, and the first time he walked. I missed the late night feedings. I missed the diaper changings; I missed being there when he had nightmares." Oliver's voice was full of regret.

"You couldn't stop what happened. Oliver. It's not your fault. You were there for him once you got to know about him. You chose to stay. That's more than anything I can tell about my own father."

Oliver looked at her with his blue eyes. They were filled with understanding.

"How old were you when he left you?"

"I was six."

"I'm sorry Felicity."

"Don't be. I'm not. It's something I have made peace with a long time ago. For some years I was so hurt. I thought it was my fault that he left us. But now I know, being a parent myself, there's nothing you could use as an excuse for not being there for your child."

"It must have been so hard for you. Being the only child and not having a father figure in your life." Oliver touched her hand. She let him hold it.

William was playing football with his new friends.

They both watched him silently. There was a strange feeling of content in the moment, sitting there holding each other's hands and watching their child.

After a long while Oliver broke the silent.

"How did you meet my family?"

Felicity smiled softly.

"I met Thea and Moira at Glade's charity Hospital. My mom was applying for a place as a training nurse. We had left Vegas and were trying to settle down here. I was eight years old. My mom couldn't find a sitter so she had to take me there. Your mother left Thea at the lobby when she went to the interview room. We talked and instantly connected. Your mother was so cool about that and let us be friends. We played together when we came to the hospital with our mothers and sometimes Moira took me to Queen Mansion and took care of me when my mother was at work. That's where I met Tommy. He played with us too. Then my mom was in an accident and we lost her. I didn't know what to do. I didn't understand what happened. Moira came to the hospital at once and took me into her arms. She contacted the authorities and took my responsibility into her hands. She and the whole Merlin family were there for me. They took me in. they loved me. Even Malcom was good to me. I never felt alone."

Oliver listened to her silently.

"They are my family, Oliver. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them."

"They are lucky to have you too, you know." Oliver squeezed her hand.

Felicity smiled.

"So, tell me. What did you feel when you first meet me?" Oliver asked. Felicity huffed her laugh.

"I hated you." She said.

Oliver snorted.

"Seriously. You were so arrogant. I had heard a lot about you from Thea and Tommy. I had an image about you in my mind. You of being so cool and fun, yet you were neither. You insulted me and acted as if you were high and mighty. I really disliked you."

"Then you put me in my place. I still remember the words of contempt. You called me a pain in the ass."

"And a drama queen." Felicity added.

"Yeah, that too." He chuckled.

"When, Moira asked me to be your assistant, I had a verbal fight with her. She said she wanted someone trustworthy around you. She had to bribe me with a brand new computer system to make me accept the offer. After first week as your assistant I went to Moira and returned the computer system and told her that I quit."

"I remember that. Mom was furious. She came to me at once and demanded to know what I did to make you quit the job. I just shrugged. She threatened me to send me back to Russia if I didn't treat you well."

"I didn't know that." Felicity wondered.

"And after two days without you in the office, I went to mom and promised her that I would behave and begged her to make you come back. The office was lonely without your bantering and I was lost with all the files and documents."

"Yeah. Moira told me. So, I came back."

"And I was careful around you. I needed for the company but your inquisitive nature was dangerous for my other business."

"The Bratva…"

"Yes. So I came up with a plan. To make you believe me. I wanted you off my back."

"You showed as if you are interested in me. As if you have fallen for me. And I fell for that."

"I'm sorry."

"Yes. You should be. It was a cheap move." Felicity looked straightly at him.

"Yes. It was." He admitted.

"It was the first and only time I convinced myself to not to look into a person's past and not to use my abilities in my chance of a relationship with someone." After a moment Felicity revealed.

"What do you mean?" Oliver looked startled.

"When I start working with someone closely, I normally look into them. Using my special abilities."

"You mean hacking…"

"Hacking is such an ugly word."

Oliver didn't say anything. But corners of his lips turned upside.

"So.. as I was saying, I check on people's details before getting close to them."

"That's not a good way to start relationships."

"Hello… Kettle, this is pot. It is better than pretending to be rude and not letting anyone see your true self."

"I don't let people into my life because I don't trust people."

"And I check on people before I get to know them because I have seen how decisive people can be."

"So.. you said I was the exception. Why?"

"Because I thought at least for a once in my life, I should listen to my heart and take a chance."

"And I screwed that."

"Totally."

"I started the charade with every intention of deceiving you Felicity, but after a while everything changed. I was looking forward to see you in the mornings. I depended on you for decisions. I trusted your intuition. I t was too late when I realized what had happened. You had become an important part in my life. You had crept into my heart. I liked you so much that for the first time I lost my control."

Felicity remembered the night he was talking of. It was a charity gala night. They attended it together. And she was so happy in his arms. They danced all the night and at the end of the night Oliver kissed her.

It was the best kiss of her life.

"I loved that night."

"I loved you."

Felicity fell silent. This was the second time he said that in last 24 hours. She still didn't know what to make out of it.

"Did I step out of my line last night?" Suddenly Oliver asked.

"What?" Felicity was confused.

"Today, morning, when you woke up and saw me there in your living room with William, you seemed to be surprised."

"I thought you had left."

"I didn't. I wouldn't leave Will and you alone in there. Why did you think that I would?"

Felicity didn't know how to reply him. Should she tell him how she felt? Should she reveal him the still raw wound in her heart which was there after he left her last time, alone? Will it be fair to him if she told him that it still hurt? Would he want to hear the truth?

"I don't want to talk about it, Oliver." Felicity managed to say.

"But I want to know, Felicity. I want to know the reason for the doubts in your eyes. If we want to start this afresh we should clear everything between us. I want to know why you don't trust me to be there for you."

"Because you weren't there the last time." She snapped.

"I wasn't…"

"The last time, or the one time we spent the night together, you weren't there when I woke up. I looked for you everywhere in your pent house before I realized that you had sneaked out without even a note to me. And it hurt a lot. I know yesterday was different. We didn't sleep together. But you were there when I fell asleep. So when I woke up, I didn't hope to see you there in my home anymore. It's nothing big to deal. It's just that I went back there to that awful morning after once again." Felicity left out a long breath she was holding.

Oliver was stunned. She could see that clearly. She knew he was not the same person he was five years ago, but that didn't change the fact that he was that person who didn't have the civilized manners to check that she went home safely after a night spent together. To at least tell it to her face that he didn't enjoy the night with her.

"I enjoyed the night."

She realized that she had thought aloud when he said that in a voice just above a whisper. His voice was filled with regret.

"It was the best night of my life."

"Oliver, you don't have to lie to me about that. I don't care that…"

"But I do. I do care, Felicity. And I'm telling you the truth. That was the best night of my life. I was so happy with you in my bed, in my life. It's just that I was so full of contentment and peace, I had forgotten that a shipment from Russia was to be delivered that night and I wasn't there. The SCPD had raided and four of my men had died that night. Because I wasn't there. Because I was distracted by my personal life. My dad called at the dawn and he was disappointed of me. I had to decide whether I want to keep my place in the Bratva or I want to keep you in my life. And you know what I chose. I'm sorry."

"You are sorry for a lot of things, Oliver."

He smiled, but his eyes didn't.

"I am. It's like my default setting these days. I'm apologizing to Tommy for being a shitty best friend. Then I'm apologizing to Laurel about Sara. I apologize to Thea for not being there for her. Then I'm constantly apologizing to you about nearly everything."

"You have to forgive yourself first, Oliver. We are your family. We forgive you and we care for you. But if you want to start afresh, you have to learn to forgive yourself."

"I'll try."

They stood up from the bench together as William came running to them. Oliver took him to his arms and put him on his shoulders.

Felicity watched the father and son duo, with warmth filled heart. They were both little boys who were lost in their own tragedies. And she was there in the center of both of their worlds.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Oliver was waiting for Thea to come from her room. They were heading for another charity gala. Thea was his date for the night. He had asked Felicity to be his date, but she refused the offer saying that Tommy had asked her to be his date tonight. He blamed himself for not asking her before Tommy. Yet stayed silent and told her that it's okay.

At least she was coming to the gala. That's good. He said to himself.

"Thea, if you don't come down in 10 minutes, I will leave for the gala alone. I don't know why everyone keeps blaming me for me being late when it's clearly proven that you are the reason for it most of the time." Oliver shouted to his sister who has closed up in her room for more than two hours now.

"Give me 05 minutes more, Ollie." Thea's voice came from upstairs.

Oliver sighed and sat down again. Thea agreed to go with him. At least he is grateful for that. Of course Diggle is accompanying them. William will be with Raisa and Roy while Tommy and Felicity are at the gala.

His life had been good since he and Felicity made reconciliation attempts. Actually, the days have been too good. Oliver was happy. He spent most of his time away from office and foundry with Felicity and William. William loved all the attention he was getting from his parents and Felicity seemed to be opening up to Oliver again.

They were in a good place and heading to a promising future.

Oliver was ticking off his father's list of criminals one by one. The list seemed to be endless. And more he dug on their dirt more he felt contempt. How did his father managed to do this much damage to their city and its people? How the hell this city survived all this time with all these criminals? And he was disgusted with himself. How did he not see how much bad they were bringing here?

He was an idiot who was lost in his own insecurities and thought that power and money is everything.

Thank god, now he knew better.

"Okay, dear brother. Let's go." Thea's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

…

"Oliver dear, come here. I want to introduce you to some of my friends from the city hall." Moira was parading Oliver all around the tables just as he arrived here. Thea has winked and left his arm at the first chance she got and Oliver was trapped with his mother since then.

He was making rounds with her, handshaking with business partners and flashing fake smiles at graceful ladies from Starling city elite society. Several of his past flings were also present and he tried his best to avoid meeting anyone of them in face.

And the woman Oliver was hoping to meet here hasn't made her entrance yet.

"Moira, can I steal Ollie for a dance?" Oliver turned towards the familiar voice.

Laurel Lance. So not the woman he wanted to see here.

"Of course Laurel, dear. Tommy hasn't arrived here yet. I'm sure Oliver can dance with you for a song or two until Tommy arrives."

Moira's words surprised Oliver. It seemed as if she didn't know about Laurel's and Tommy's break up yet. May be she didn't know. Tommy wasn't at home much for past few days and Laurel was always busy at her work that no one really missed them or suspected that something was wrong.

Oliver didn't want to dance with Laurel. He wasn't a big fan of dancing unless he was dancing with Felicity. Having her in his arms made anything interesting after all. And who was in his arms now was definitely not Felicity.

"You looked as if you needed a rescue party. That is why came to you." Laurel said while banding her arms around his neck.

Oliver held her waist and slowly swayed according to the rhythm.

"Thank you. But that was not necessary. I was fine by myself." Oliver replied.

"You were never comfortable with those businessmen, Ollie. You don't have to lie to me. I know you." Laurel stepped into his space, her hot breath on his neck.

Oliver took a step back with the dance. "I'm changed Laurel. I'm not the men you knew."

"You never change, Ollie. You think you can change. But you can't. Just as you can't forget me. How much you ran away from me, how many barriers you put in front of our path, you will always end up with me."

Laurel's words made him take a look at her eyes for the first time of the night. She sounded crazy. She couldn't be really in her right mind.

"You are wrong, Laurel. That ship sailed long time ago. Actually I drowned with that ship. We have too much baggage between us. And I am in love with another woman."

He tried to tread carefully with this matter. Oliver didn't like what he saw in Laurel's eyes. She looked too much determined.

"I can put our past to a rest, Ollie. Once you get through this your little infatuation with Felicity, you will realize that you belong with me."

Laurel pressed her body into his. Oliver felt nothing. He may have thought Laurel to be the most beautiful and gorgeous woman in Starling city once, but now he knew that she couldn't hold a candle to Felicity in his eyes.

"I love her, Laurel. I'm not going to tell you this again, but what was between us finished long time ago. We both went in different paths and met people who we can love. You are just messed up with your break up with Tommy, right now. You'll realize this once you sat down and think through this."

Oliver released her waist and released himself from her hold and stepped out of the dance floor. He went towards the bar and Laurel followed him there.

"Tommy isn't the one I want Ollie. It's you. I let you go once when you cheated on me with Sara. But it was your defense mechanism, Ollie. I understand that now. That's how you avoid commitment. I forgive you. I forgive you for cheating on me. And I will accept your son too. Tommy doesn't care for me. I was with him because I didn't know how to cope with your and Sara's lost. I loved you Ollie and I still do. We can start this again." Laurel didn't know what she was saying. Oliver was sure of that.

"Laurel, I didn't love you. I liked you, yes. And I thought that I loved you. But that was before I knew what love is. I wouldn't have ever cheated on you if I have loved you. I realized that only now."

Oliver tried to sound less irritated.

"It's her, isn't it? You are besotted with her. What has happened to you all men? It's like she has done some magic on you. Tommy forgets my birth day every year but never forgets her dental appointment. Roy and Diggle left their homes and went with her when she left the city. Even Malcom greets her with a hug, when he had never shaken a hand with me. And you Oliver, you just have eyes only for her when she enters the room. She has all of you in her palm." Laurel's voice was edging to an angry shriek and people were looking their way.

Oliver held her elbow and led her to the balcony as calmly as possible.

"Laurel, what is wrong with you? Why are you doing this? You and I were over for a long time. I met Felicity and even if I never realized it then, I was falling for her. Then I went on that yacht and got lost. When I came back you were engaged to Tommy. And we both were changed. You and me, we were never meant to be. I don't love you. I'm in love with Felicity. I have been since the day I realized that I lost her."

Oliver watched as Laurel processed his words.

"So, you are telling me that you never loved me?" she asked in a whisper.

"No, Laurel. I didn't. I was a selfish bastard then. I hurt you over and over and I'm sorry. But I never loved you."

It was hard for Oliver to admit this. Nevertheless, it was the truth. He never loved her. He didn't know what love was. Until Felicity, no one has ever loved him so openly and unconditionally.

"I always forgave you for cheating. I thought you would change for me." Laurel seemed to be back to reality.

"You shouldn't have. People who love you truly, wouldn't let you get away with doing the wrong thing. They will fight with you with each and every step, trying to make you see the truth. They will stay with you no matter what, but won't let you take them for granted." Oliver said.

"Like Tommy did for me?" Laurel asked Oliver. Her eyes shining with clarity for the first time for the night.

"Yes, like Tommy was there for you and fought for you, even he had to fight with you for that. Like Felicity didn't let me take her for granted and took care of William for me, even when I hurt her badly." Oliver said.

Laurel gasped at that and looked at him. Her eyes were widened with a feeling which Oliver couldn't decipher.

"Oh my god! William!" She exclaimed.

Oliver didn't have time to ask of her what did she mean by that. Diggle rushed to them with an anxious look.

"Oliver, Roy called me just now. It's about William. He's been taken."

Oliver didn't remember how he reacted to that. What he knew was that he raced through the Starling city elite at the party and the next minute he was in his SUV which was speeding towards Felicity's home, with Diggle.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Felicity turned her head towards Tommy who was humming the song along with the radio. He was keeping beat with his fingers on the steering wheel. Tommy seemed to be better in his mood tonight. Since his break up with Laurel, he was absorbed in his work and surprisingly not visiting the bar as he did before. May be he is getting his shit together and trying to be mature.

"You know Smoak, I know that I'm so pretty to look and that all, but I never thought I'll find you stunned by my beauty to stare at me for 05 minutes."

No. Not mature. He can never be mature. Felicity rolled her eyes.

"I was just trying to understand why I accepted your offer to be my date tonight Merlin. Obviously it's not your face. I must have had a soft spot for you that day." Felicity's words made Tommy laugh.

"You know Smoak. I kind of asked to be your date, to annoy Ollie. I knew he was planning to ask you to be his date. I know for a fact that tonight I will enjoy seeing Ollie fuming in jealousy."

"You are one piece of work, Tommy. You know how to make a girl feel special. Taking her to a gala to annoy his best friend."

Felicity tried to get her angry face, but failed at Tommy's smug smile.

"This was a chance not to be missed, Lizz. I love seeing him angry…" Tommy's words slurred when he something ahead road and slowed down the car to stop.

"What is it, Tommy?" Felicity asked.

"There's someone fallen on the side of the road, Lizz."Tommy looked alarmed.

Felicity noticed what he was talking about. There was definitely someone lying on a side of the road.

"It seems as if there had been an accident. Let's go." Felicity said.

"Yeah. Let's go." Tommy started the car.

"What? No. I mean let's go and check on him, Tommy. Maybe someone needs our help." Felicity opened her side door.

"No, wait, Smoak. I'll see into it. Ollie will kill me if something happened to you. You stay in the car. I'll go and check if he needs our help. Okay." Tommy said as getting out of the car.

Felicity watched as Tommy went to the fallen person and crouched at him. And suddenly the fallen person got up and five more people got onto the road from nowhere and circled Tommy. They were all wearing masks. Felicity was shocked. But she knew by instinct that Tommy needed her to be in the car. She dialed Oliver's phone and he answered at the first ring.

"Felicity?" Oliver's voice was hoarse as if he was running for a while.

"Oliver, there are some people attacking us. We are two blocks away from the Gala." She told him while watching Tommy punching one of the thugs and getting held by two others.

All she could hear on his side was panting and his shouting to Diggle. Felicity got out of the car. Tommy can't hold the fight on his own for much long. She has to help him.

"Felicity. We are coming there. Stay inside the car. Don't engage them. We are almost there." Oliver's voice came from the phone in her hand.

One thug hit Tommy in the head and Tommy fell down. Felicity started running to him.

"Tommy…!"

One goon captured her arm and she hit him in the gut and got out of his hold. Thanks to Diggle and his insisting of giving her self-defense training all those years before, she knew how to manure her body out of a man's hold.

"You bitch…" The man growled and jumped at her and hit her in the shin.

"Ow" Felicity fumbled ahead and tripped on her own dress and fell down. Her phone was thrown across the road at the impact. Leave it to her to fall down on her own when there are six people attacking her friend.

"Where is that note book, you bastard?" Felicity heard one of the thugs asking and saw him hitting the fallen Tommy in his gut.

"Ooomph…" Tommy whimpered and coiled away from the man's foot.

"He is not going to tell it like this. Why don't we ask him another way?" The one who hit her grabbed Felicity's hair and yanked her up. His other hand grabbing her waist in a brutal manner. Her long dress ripped a bit at the force of his hand.

"Don't hurt her…" Tommy tried to get up and again got hit in the gut.

"Tommy…!" Felicity struggled against her captor and he pulled her towards his body and put a blade on her neck.

"Try another move like that and your friend will witness you dropping dead on the spot, you bitch." The man's breath was on her ear and Felicity stilled.

"Make it quick, idiot. We don't have all the night." He shouted at the others who were taking their terns to hit Tommy.

There was a sound of a vehicle coming in full speed at them and the thugs grabbed Tommy's bloodied body and made for a vehicle which was stopped near. The one who was holding Felicity tried to yank her towards it and another one shouted at him.

"Leave her there. The instructions were to only bring him. Not to take his bitch."

The thug took off the blade at her neck and shoved her away and she again fell on the floor, this time she couldn't break the fall and hit her head on the side pavement. The final thing Felicity remembered was her name shout out from far end of the way. Or maybe it was from Oliver's SUV which stopped 20 feet from her in a screeching halt.

….

"Felicity… Felicity… Please open your eyes. Felicity, please…" Someone was pleading to her. Felicity tried to place that voice in her memory but her head was hurting a lot. She opted choosing the tempting sleep which was dragging her towards darkness.

….

Her head hurt. And her feet were cold. They were the first thoughts came to her mind. She tried to open her eye lids. They were heavy as if someone was holding them down. She tried again and was successful this time.

Felicity blinked at the bright light and tried to figure out her surroundings. She was in the hospital. The white walls and the white tiles were familiar to her. She was at the Merlin's wing at the hospital. There was a shifting around her and then Thea came into her focus. She placed Felicity's glasses on her nose and adjusted it.

"Hi…" Thea squeezed Felicity's hand she was holding tightly.

"What happened?" Felicity tried to remember why she was here. And her memories were blurred. She was heading to the gala with Tommy and they were attacked by some thugs and, Oh my God!

"Tommy!" Felicity gasped and tried to get up.

"Felicity, slowly… Please." Thea helped her and adjusted her pillows to support her.

"Tommy… They took him. I tried… Oliver…" Felicity looked around to find Oliver. She vaguely remembered his voice calling to her. Where is he?

Thea didn't say anything but poured a cup of water for her.

"Thea, where is Oliver? Did he find Tommy? How long have I been out?" Felicity was surprised that he was not here, at her bedside. That was where he was supposed to be. Wasn't he?

"Felicity, calm down, please. Ollie was here. He was the one who brought you here. He is with Captain Lance now. No, they haven't found Tommy yet. The SCPD is still searching." Thea held Felicity's hands in hers and told her softly.

"But… No, SCPD won't be enough. They said… They… I need to talk to Oliver. I have to find him. There are things that he should know, Thea. Please call Oliver. I need him. And my tablet. I could help them with the search if I had my tablet with me."

Felicity knew that she couldn't tell Thea what exactly happened. What she suspected, what her mind was telling her. She had to see Oliver. SCPD won't be enough. They needed the Arrow.

"Ollie will be here as soon as the things were arranged, Felicity. He is discussing things with the SCPD. I'll call him and tell him that you are awake. He'll be here. Don't worry. And you should be checked again by a doctor, now that you are awake." Thea said while taking her phone out to make a call to Oliver.

As if on cue, the door opened and a doctor came in.

"Oh, Ms. Smoak is awake. Hello, Ms. Smoak. I'm Dr. Harrison. I checked you up while you were unconscious. Everything seems to be okay. You had a cut on your temple, but it was not too deep so didn't need to be stitched. Apart from a few bruises you are fine. But we need to keep you under watch to see whether there is any concussion as you've been out for two hours."

The doctor said, while checking her vitals and Felicity for the first time noticed that her body is also hurting and there was a band aid around her head.

"Two hours? We left home around seven. So, it must be near ten, now. Oh I have to go home. It's way past William's bed time. He won't sleep without me. Doctor, can I go home? I have a son waiting for me to come home."

"Ms. Smoak. We have to keep you under observation. But if you insist I can arrange you to check out, but someone should keep eye on you all the night." Dr. Harrison said.

"Yes. Of course. I'll check out. I have people at home who could watch over me." Felicity brightened at the idea of going home to her son. Once she see him and had some time to calm down, she can figure this out and help Oliver and SCPD to find Tommy.

Thea shifted on her feet.

"Lizz, I think we should wait for Ollie. He'll be here soon. Then we can decide about you going home."

"But I don't want to be here, Thea. William is not used to sleep without me tucking him into bed. Even if he does, he tends to wake up at the middle of the night crying. Roy will be fed up by now baby-sitting him. He probably wouldn't offer to sit him anymore." Felicity said with a smile.

Thea didn't smile with her instead she turned her face away and avoided facing Felicity.

Doctor left the room with Felicity's reports and Felicity tried to get down from the bed.

Thea again checked her phone and cursed under her breath.

The door to the room burst open and Laurel rushed in like a storm.

"What am I hearing about Tommy been kidnapped, Thea? Why didn't anyone inform me?"

"This is a hospital room. Laurel. Not your office room. You can't storm in here like that." Thea stiffened and said in a disgusted voice.

"I came here because no one is giving answers to me. What happened to Tommy? Moira said he was supposed to attend the gala with Felicity. My dad told me that she was admitted here."

"May be no one's telling you anything because you don't deserve answers Laurel. May be it's because they have important things to like finding Tommy instead of placating you." Thea said.

Felicity watched the dual of words with shock. While Thea never liked Laurel much, she never attacked Laurel like this before.

"I deserve answers Thea. I want to know what happened to my fiancé."

"Ex-fiancé, Laurel. You two broke up. You may lie to mom and act as nothing happened. But FYI I know better." Thea said.

"What happened between me and Tommy is none of your business Thea. Now let me talk to Felicity. I want to know what happened to him." Laurel tried to pass Thea and get to Felicity. Thea blocked Laurel's way and Felicity spoke.

"Thea, let her be. Laurel, me and Tommy were coming to the gala and we were attacked on the way. They took Tommy. Oliver is working with SCPD to find him. Don't worry. They will find him." Felicity said stepping towards her.

She could understand Laurel's pain. Laurel was in love with Tommy. Even if she was no longer engaged to Tommy, she was concerned about him. Felicity would be in the same place if something like this happened to Oliver.

"No, he is not. He is not searching for Tommy. He is busy with the searching party for William. Oliver no longer cares for Tommy. William is important to him than Tommy." Laurel snapped at her.

What? Searching party for William! What is she talking? Felicity was confused.

Wait… What? William is missing! Is William missing?

Felicity looked at Thea for answers. Thea avoided her face and ducked her head.

"Thea, what is she talking about? Is she telling the truth? Is William missing?" Felicity felt as if she was on a hot plate.

"Felicity, please. Calm down. Ollie is coming. Everything will be all right. We will find him. Don't worry." Thea said trying to calm her down.

William is missing. Her son is missing. Oh my god! William!

Suddenly Felicity couldn't breathe. Her chest hurt. She gut was in a coil. She felt as if she was drowning. She fell on to the floor.

"Felicity.. Felicity… Lizz… You are having a panic attack. Laurel, go find a doctor. Lizz, Please. Breathe… oh Ollie…"

"Felicity…" A pair of strong arms held her. Felicity tried to breathe again.

"Felicity, it's me Oliver. Try to breathe with me baby. Take long breaths. With me…" Oliver took her hand and placed it on his chest. He stroked her back soothingly with other hand.

After a few moments Felicity managed to calm down. She held Oliver's hand tightly and stood up with him.

She looked up at him. His blue eyes were staring at her with so much pain.

"Oliver… William…" She felt her eyes watering. She saw him breaking inside.

"We will find him, Felicity." He said.

"My little baby…" Felicity couldn't stop her sob and Oliver took her into his arms. She sobbed into his chest and he kept muttering same thing to her ear.

"We will get him back, Felicity, we will get our son back."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Oliver held Felicity tightly to his body. She was clutching the front of his shirt in her fists and crying into his chest. His heart clenched with her sobs. He had never felt this much vulnerable before. He had promised himself to never let tears to fall again from her eyes and he had failed.

Tonight was the worst night of his entire life.

And to think that he was looking forward for this night whole day.

He was waiting to spend a night with Felicity in his arms and to be in public with her beside him.

When he heard from Diggle that William had been kidnapped, he felt as if he was cursed. Why the hell couldn't he have one peaceful happy night? Oliver left the party without even looking back. There wasn't anything that could stop him from doing everything he could do to find his son as soon as possible.

Except, a call from Felicity.

Oliver was in his SUV which was heading to Felicity's home when his phone started ringing. Oliver had already called Captain Lance and was thinking of contacting his Bratva contacts to find his son.

He answered the phone thinking that Felicity somehow got to know about William's kidnap and was calling to asking him to come.

But he was shocked when she told him about the attack on her and Tommy. For a second Oliver couldn't think straight. Then he snapped back and shouted at Diggle to turn the vehicle. When they reached the place Felicity described, they saw the thugs putting Tommy into their vehicle and leaving. One thug who was holding a blade to Felicity's neck knocked her down and Oliver saw Felicity falling down and hitting her head. He got out from the SUV before it stopped and ran towards her calling her name.

When he reached there, he took her in his arms and tried to wake her up. Her temple had a cut which was bleeding vigorously and she had lost conscious.

They brought her to the Starling city hospital as soon as possible. Oliver never lost hold of her the entire time. He left the hospital only after the doctors checked Felicity and confirmed him that Felicity was okay and after Thea came there.

Then he visited Roy who was admitted to the emergency treatment unit who had been shot by William's kidnappers. Fortunately the shot was on his arm and was a through and through. Raisa had brought him there.

Yes, Oliver didn't much like Roy, mostly due to the facts that he was dating Thea and because of Roy's behavior towards him regarding Felicity. But tonight Roy had earned himself respect in Oliver's heart. Roy had taken a bullet for trying to protect Oliver's son. That was something Oliver wouldn't ever forget.

Oliver had talked to Captain Lance and they had listened to Roy's and Raisa's words on what happened. They had been having dinner when the kidnappers had broken the living room window and entered the apartment. Roy had tried to stop them but one of the attackers had shot him and hit Raisa. They had taken crying William and left Roy bleeding on the floor.

The most important information Roy and Raisa were able to give them, was that the attackers had spoken in Russian. According to Raisa they had shouted at each other to be quick and to not to let the bastard child run away.

Oliver had a very bad feeling about this. The only Russians who would attempt something like this was Bratva. But would Bratva dare to defy him in his territory? Yes, it was true that after his father's indiscretions, Oliver had lost the faith of local Bratva members. But he had saved the Bratva Pakhan, Anatoly's life and had earned his place in the Bratva family again, before he came from his lost time.

So, that left only one possible answer.

Isabel Rochev.

But, Oliver was sure that Isabel didn't know about William or him being Oliver's son.

Someone had to tell her about that.

And considering what he saw and heard tonight, Oliver had a possible suspect for that too.

Laurel.

Yes, Oliver always had a soft spot regarding Laurel considering the facts that he had hurt her so much by cheating on her when they were dating and for the death of Sara. But Oliver was no fool. Laurel had been out of her usual composed self-tonight. She was behaving like a mentally unstable person. And when Oliver managed to make her understand finally that there was no future for them, Laurel had gasped saying William's name.

Before Oliver had time to ask her about that Diggle had rushed there and informed him about William's kidnapping. So, Oliver was sure that at least Laurel had to do something about one of the tonight's events.

"Oliver…" Felicity's voice brought him back from his inner discussion.

Felicity had stopped crying and was looking up at him with reddened eyes blazing with tears. Oliver didn't know how to console her. They were in the same place. Their little son has been taken from them. Oliver only had him for a few months and Felicity raised him for 04 years. Oliver didn't know who hurt most from this, he or her.

"I'm sorry." Felicity's words were barely audible.

Oliver frowned.

"It's not…"

"I couldn't protect our son. I should have stayed home. I shouldn't have left for the party. Now, Tommy is also missing. I did this. I …." Felicity interrupted him and said with a sob.

"Hey, hey.. Stop Felicity. It was not your fault. If there is someone to blame, it's me. I put you and William in danger. You are in this because of me. If I stayed away from you and William you two would have been safe." Oliver said.

Felicity shook her head in denial.

"No, Oliver. It's not your fault. You are his dad. William was so happy that he had you. You belong in our lives."

"I don't deserve you." Oliver cupped back of her head and pulled her into his chest again. She wove her hands around his torso and pressed her cheek to his heart.

Felicity, his Felicity was with him. If anyone can find their son it was them together. They would find him.

"We will find him, Felicity. I promise you. We will get our son back." Oliver kept whispering in her ear and felt her nodding in agreement.

"Oops.. Am I interrupting? No one who would see you would think that you have lost two most important people of your lives at the moment. You two look so cozy."

They broke apart with Laurel's voice.

Oliver's anger was back in his head. As if sensing it Felicity held Oliver's hand in her hand and squeezed it. Oliver looked at her. Felicity gave him a look that clearly said not to say or do the thing he was thinking of saying or doing.

"What are you doing here, Laurel?" Oliver clenched his fingers and tried his best to hold his anger back.

"I want to know what happened to Tommy and what you have done to find him." Laurel said with a snicker.

Laurel was glaring at Felicity. Oliver stepped in front of Felicity and covered her from Laurel's evil eyes.

"We are doing everything we can, Laurel. SCPD and your father are at the crime site. They will do everything necessary to handle the situation." Oliver said.

"Where are Moira and Malcom? They should be pulling every string they can, to find Tommy. After all Tommy is a son of this family. He is the Merlin heir." Laurel said and Oliver understood what she didn't say.

"William is also a son of this family, Laurel. We are searching for both of them. We will find both of them." Felicity stepped up and stood beside Oliver again.

"Mom and Malcom are with Raisa and Roy. They were attacked and are admitted to the hospital." Oliver said.

He wanted to leave the hospital. He wanted to take Felicity to the Mansion and make sure that she is safe. Then he wanted to put his hood and search each and every corner of the Starling city for his son and brother.

He wanted Laurel to leave them alone.

Obviously that was not on Laurel's agenda.

"I will talk to my dad and ask him to contact the Arrow. May be he will be able to do something effective than you." Laurel said.

Oliver felt Felicity straightening beside him. He weaved his arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

"You are welcome to do as you like, Laurel. Just don't do anything stupid, like contacting Isabel Rochev." Oliver said and observed carefully for Laurel's reaction. He was successful. Laurel flinched at Isabel's name.

"Why would I contact Isabel? I hate her." Laurel tried to cover her trembling voice.

"Then, there is nothing for you to worry about. So, stay safe. Because I don't think I would have time to search for you too in this situation. I honestly don't think I would bother." Oliver said.

Laurel glared at him and Oliver held her gaze with same expression. After a second Laurel nodded her head and stormed off.

Oliver released a long breath which he didn't know he was holding.

"Why did you treat her like that, Oliver? She is probably worried about Tommy. She loves him. No matter what happened between them, she would be worried for his safety. You shouldn't have snapped at her like that. And what was that about Isabel?" Felicity was staring at him for answers.

"We'll talk in private, Felicity."

"What are we going to do now? I can help with the search when I get a hold of my tablet." Felicity said as a matter of fact. She seemed to be back to her normal self. They couldn't waste their time weeping and consoling each other. They have to act fast. They both knew that.

As much as this situation sucked, Oliver liked working together with Felicity. They were unstoppable when they worked together, at QC in the past. They were a team, always.

"Diggle is at your home. I'll tell him to bring your things to the Mansion."

Felicity opened her lips to protest but Oliver cut in.

"No, Felicity. You are not going to that apartment again in near future. I want you in my house, where I can be sure that you are safe. I can't lose you too. I need your help. You can come to the lair with me and Dig if you want. But no visit to your apartment." Oliver knew that Felicity hated being told what to do. But this was about her safety and that was non-negotiable.

Felicity looked deep into his eyes for a few seconds and understanding ran through her eyes.

"Okay. I'll come to the Mansion with you. I can't argue you about this, can i?"

"No. you can't." Oliver said.

"Let's go then. I don't want to waste time. We have to find our son as soon as possible." Felicity moved towards the door.

Oliver stopped her.

"Are you sure that you can leave the hospital, Felicity?"

"Oliver, I'm fine. I want my son with me. And we need to visit Roy. Please. Let's go. I don't like hospitals much, you know."

Oliver led her through the corridor in silent and filled her releasing forms. He knew Felicity had a lot of things she needed answers but she kept the silence as he asked.

They met Moira and Malcom when they visited Roy. Malcom was pacing outside Roy's room and barking instructions to someone by his phone. He nodded at Oliver and patted Felicity's shoulder and showed them the door to the room, while still talking by phone.

Oliver entered the room with Felicity beside him. Moira was talking with Raisa and Thea was holding Roy's hand. Once Moira saw Felicity she came towards her and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, Felicity. I'm so sorry dear. Don't worry. We will find William. He will be back to you as soon as possible." Moira said.

"And Tommy." Felicity said.

"Huh?" Oliver's mother frowned at Felicity in confusion.

Oliver saw something similar to anger flickering over Felicity's face, but it vanished quickly and was replaced with a smile.

"We will find Tommy as soon as possible too. He is your son, after all." Felicity said.

Oliver's mother smiled.

"Of course, dear. Tommy too. We will find both of them."

Felicity and Oliver talked with Roy. He again confirmed that he heard the kidnappers talk in Russian.

Felicity threw Oliver a questioning glance and Oliver shook her head a little as in 'not here', and she understood it and didn't say anything.

After a while Oliver walked Felicity out of the hospital and they drove to the mansion.

Felicity was silent along the way but Oliver could see the wheels of her mind turning. She was processing the information and Oliver knew they had to wait to discuss things until they meet with Diggle.

…..

Oliver made hot chocolate for them and they waited for Diggle. They didn't have to wait much.

"I brought your tablet and some clothes. No, I didn't go through your closet, Felicity. Lyla is back in the city and she helped me with the things." Diggle handed Felicity a heavy duffel bag.

"Thank you Dig. Did you search the house? Was anything missing?" Felicity asked.

Oliver took the bag from her hand and carried it to the room beside his.

Felicity and Diggle were talking when he came back and they both turned to him.

"So, shall we discuss what happened and start our own searches?" Felicity asked. She was impatient to do something to find William.

"Okay. Let's go through the things we know before start planning things ahead." Oliver said and Diggle nodded in agreement.

"Roy said, they were having dinner when the attack was made and they had shot Roy first and then had hit Raisa down, before going after William." Diggle said.

"Are you saying that…"

"They knew Roy was there and came prepared to tackle him first." Felicity completed Oliver's sentence.

"And let's not forget the fact that they spoke Russian." Diggle added.

Felicity turned to Oliver.

"Do you think that…"

"That Bratva is behind this? No. I don't think so. I have solved things between me and Bratva. I'm still a captain. And the bad blood which was there because of my dad is dissolved now. No one would dare to attack me and face the aftermath. Nope. Not Bratva." Oliver replied.

"Which leaves the only other choice of answer."

"Isabel Rochev."

"Do you think that she knows that William is your son?" Felicity asked him.

"I guess so, Felicity. That is the best reason."

"But, how? No one except for the family knew about that." Felicity said.

Oliver looked at her knowingly.

"You think that… Laurel told Isabel." Felicity stated as in disbelief.

Oliver nodded,

"When I was at the gala, Laurel came to me. She was talking about us getting together. She said she'll forgive me again and take me back." Oliver saw Felicity going pale with his words.

"I explained to her that it was not going to be and that I don't want to get back together with her." He added quickly.

Felicity sighed. It did made Oliver feel good.

"Finally when I was successful at getting it in her head, she was shocked and gasped William's name." Oliver finished.

"What?" Diggle asked.

"Yeah, I couldn't ask her about it then, because that's when you came in and told me about Will's kidnapping." Oliver replied Diggle.

"She knew about it." Felicity said.

"Yeah. And it makes sense. She wanted Oliver back with her. But the problem was you and William. If she took William away, Oliver wouldn't have any reason to be with you. And she can get Oliver back." Diggle said.

Oliver didn't like it. But as Diggle said it all made sense. Desperate Laurel doing something like that.

"And when I mentioned Isabel at the hospital, she flinched." Oliver said.

"But she put William's life in danger for something of a long shot. How could she be sure that after all that, you would want to be back with her?" Felicity asked him.

"She has this something in her head that she and I are meant to be together, that no matter what happens I would finally end up with her." Oliver said.

Felicity didn't say anything but looked away as if Oliver's words hurt her.

"So, we are sure that Isabel is behind this. But who kidnapped Tommy? Do you think that Isabel is responsible for that too?" Diggle asked.

"May be. But that doesn't add up to this much. Why would Isabel kidnap Tommy? Laurel wouldn't want that. I mean, if Laurel knew that."

Oliver's mind told him that there was something large going on behind this. But he couldn't just put his finger in it.

"Isabel is not behind it." Felicity said.

Oliver looked at her. How was she so sure of that?

"We were driving to the gala and there was someone lying at the side of the road. Tommy wanted to leave but I insisted of checking it and helping the person if he needed help. So, Tommy got out of the car and walked to the man. And suddenly the man got up and five other people surrounded Tommy. That's when I called you." Felicity said.

"It was a trap." Diggle said.

"Yes. When they started hitting Tommy, I got out of the car and ran there. They attacked me too. They hit Tommy asking for a note book." Felicity said.

"Wait, a note book?" Oliver didn't like where this was going.

"Yes, the exact words were 'Where is that note book'. As in they were talking about a certain note book."

Oliver was shocked. Was she saying what he thinks she was saying?

"Do you think that they were asking Tommy about that note book?" He asked her.

"The one Moira dropped and Tommy gave to you to check?" Diggle asked her.

"The same one which had 'the list'. Yes. I think they were talking about that." Felicity answered.

But how did they know that it was with Tommy?

His mother…

"Only Moira would know that it was with Tommy. Because she was the one who dropped it." Diggle said.

Felicity touched Oliver's fore arm and he looked at her. Oliver couldn't believe what was in front of them.

"You think that my mother is behind Tommy's kidnapping." He said.

"I think it is why she is worried about only William, but not about Tommy." Felicity said.

"Because in her head she knows that nothing really will put Tommy in danger. He is in her custody, until he tells her where the note book is." Diggle filled in.

"My mom wouldn't do something like that Felicity. She loves Tommy. She wouldn't hurt in like that for a note book." Oliver still refused to believe it.

"Oliver we are talking about the woman who kept the parts of Gambit stored in a warehouse. I know this is hard for you. But as much as love Moira I wouldn't ever undermine her. She must have her reasons, but I think she is the one who is behind this." Felicity said.

Felicity made sense. Oliver knew that. but it was difficult to think that his mother would do such horrible thing.

"At least we have a place to start now. And I think we should give priority to William. We can be sure that Tommy will be safe for the time being." Diggle said.

"And we should return the note book to them. They will release Tommy once they get it back."

"How can we return it to them? We can't go to my mom and tell her that he gave this to us and we want to return it." Oliver said.

"Actually, I can do exactly that. I could go to Moira and tell her that Tommy came to visit me and left the note book with me asking to return it to her, since she had left it in his car. And with all the work and things going on with us I forgot to give it to her and return it. She won't suspect me. I can also add some funny thing about the book being blank. So she won't suspect me of reading it." Felicity said.

Oliver didn't like the plan. What would happen if his mother didn't trust Felicity? What would happen if she kidnapped Felicity next in order to get to know what Felicity knew of the note book?

It didn't sit well with Oliver. But both Diggle and Felicity seemed to like it.

And it did give them the relief of making Tommy safely returned and then they could focus fully on getting William back. So Oliver agreed with the plan.

Then as if on cue, his phone rang and it was his mother.

"Mom…" Oliver answered giving Felicity a nod.

"Oliver, Isabel Rochev called." His mom said.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Oliver was talking to his mom on phone and Felicity moved towards the table where her tablet was placed. She had things to do. She has to find her son. She signed Oliver to come to the upper floor and took off to her room. Diggle took her bags and followed her upstairs.

Felicity went to her old room, which was now being redecorated to be a room for a boy, definitely for William when he would spend his night here.

She walked into the room and settled down at the couch. Diggle placed her bags near the closet and went out answering his phone.

Getting into the crime fighting business was not strange to Felicity. She was a pro at finding people who didn't want to be found.

She started running the basic programs which had helped her to find criminal activities in the city throughout the years. Then she hacked into the CCTV videos of the area around her apartment. After nearly a 15 minutes, when Oliver came into the room Felicity had found out the vehicle of the kidnappers which had been parked in an alley behind her house. They had waited until she left her home with Tommy and had circled the house taking their time.

She could hear the gunshots through the video and saw the face covered kidnappers taking away her son.

Felicity could feel Oliver's presence behind her when she started playing the next video which was from a slightly different angle. Oliver leant on the couch back and looked at the video over her shoulder. She could sense Oliver's jaws clenching together when the part where they showed the screaming William into the black van.

Felicity quickly discovered the path they took, but after entering a one way tunnel the van suddenly disappeared.

Oliver made an angry noise and moved away from the couch. Felicity turned around to look at him. His fists were clenched and the he was standing rigid as if to take off at the first sign of she gives him.

She knew that it was difficult for him to just stay here and not hit the streets to find William. But they couldn't do anything without information. They couldn't turn each and every rock in the city searching for the little boy. They would if they could but that was not the case here. They simply did not have that much time. Hell, they didn't even know whether their son is still in the city.

Oliver paced around the room and Diggle entered the room with two cups of coffee this time.

Felicity turned her eyes away from the screen at the smell of coffee and took the coffee from Diggle with a grateful look. Diggle placed the other cup on the stool near Oliver and took a seat.

Felicity went towards Oliver who was still pacing in front of the bed, and sat on the bed. She was still clutching the tablet tightly. It was her only lifeline. She felt as if she will be letting William down if she set it down.

"What did your mother say?" She asked from Oliver.

Oliver closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Felicity waited by his side patiently. After a moment, Oliver turned to her.

"Isabel had called her. Apparently she wants my shares of the QC." He stated.

"But, I thought that she took your shares of the company when you broke your engagement." Felicity said.

"Yes, but that was only part of my shares, which I got from dad. Mom had divided her 40% between me and Thea. And also with the shares she got from you, I own 25% of the shares altogether and Isabel wants them." Oliver said.

"Are you going to give her them?" She asked.

"Of course, Felicity. I don't want to put Will in danger. I'll give anything to get him back." Felicity released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"But…" she knew the matter wasn't closed.

"Mom doesn't want me to give the shares to Isabel." Oliver said.

For the first time in her life, Felicity wanted to hurt Moira. How could she care about company shares when William, Moira's one and only grandchild was in the captivity of a dangerous woman?

"She thinks that I could force Isabel to release Will using my Bratva powers."

"Could you?" Felicity asked.

"I don't think so… After my dad's betrayal, Bratva won't help me again. I was able to redeem myself just because I saved the life of Pakhan once. I don't think I'll be able to force Isabel, even though I'm still the Captain in USA, Rochevs are the ones who handle the most of the Bratva businesses here. No one will take my side against them."

Oliver's voice was strained. Felicity knew that if he thought that there was even a little bit of leverage he could gain from Bratva, he wouldn't think twice about using that. But Oliver was cornered here.

Diggle, who was silently listening to their conversation, got up from his chair and came to them.

"We can't risk William's life. Isabel is a cunning bitch. She won't act on this, if she wasn't sure of the result." He said.

"Yeah, that's exactly my point. I don't care for losing all my money. I want our son safe."

Oliver turned to Felicity and stated.

"If we could track Isabel's whereabouts, maybe we could get a hint about where she keeps William hidden." Diggle said.

"There is a very thin possibility of Isabel keeping William close to her, Dig. She knows that we will be looking for her movements." Oliver said.

"And I lost the track of the kidnappers after they entered that tunnel." Felicity added.

"We are missing something here. These things don't add up nicely. There are some other parts we still don't know." Oliver stated and started pacing again.

"I swear after I get my son back, I will drain Rochev's bank accounts and give all their money to 'Green peace' to save whales." Felicity swore and got back to her searches.

"You know, Lyla just called me. She thinks that may be there is someone else who is helping Isabel." Diggle said.

Both Oliver and Felicity stopped and turned to Diggle.

"What do you mean by that 'Lyla thinks'?" Felicity asked.

"Apart from Laurel?" Oliver asked at the same time.

Diggle gave them a look which said that they both should calm down.

"Has Lyla found something that says that Isabel is getting help from someone other than Laurel?" Felicity asked again, combining their previous questions.

"It's just that when we think about all the facts of this kidnapping, it doesn't make any sense. What does Isabel want? The control of QC? She has 45% of the shares already and she can buy some more if she needs in the future. Does that mean that she wants specifically Oliver's shares? Why?" Diggle placed the problem in front of them.

"May be she wants to take revenge from Oliver." Felicity said.

"But why? If she wants to take revenge from me, she could have done that easily by hurting me, or kidnapping me, at least someone else close to me. Why William?" Oliver said.

"May be she wants to make a scandal, may be reveal the fact that William is your son, to the world." Felicity knew that was not the reason as it left her lips.

"But she could have done that without kidnapping Will." She added.

"Exactly my point. This doesn't make any sense. Why did she put Laurel into the mess? How did she knew that Laurel is the weak joint here? How did she make Laurel do such a deplorable thing?" Diggle exclaimed.

Oliver frowned at the wall in front of him and started his voice.

"There is someone else who is behind all this. He or she gets William, Isabel gets the company shares and Laurel gets me. But who is behind the curtain?" He said to himself.

"Someone who has money. Isabel can't involve Bratva soldiers for this. She can't use Bratva money to pay for kidnappers either. So there should be someone who can pay for them. And can provide vehicles and their way out. And Laurel is out of question regarding that." Felicity supplied.

"I have to make a call; I'll come back in a minute." Oliver said suddenly, as if he remembered something just now and left the room.

Felicity was concerned and looked at Diggle who shrugged at her.

"I think you have to search for the people Isabel and Laurel met during last couple of month Felicity. May be we could find something." He suggested.

"Already on it." Felicity said as she typed.

After a while they heard a car screeching and then Thea's loud voice entered the mansion.

"… listen to me carefully, Roy. You are not going to leave your room here until you get well and fit. Don't think for a minute that I will let you out of my sight for even a second. Felicity is also here and I want all my family around me, safe. When we get Will and Tommy back I'm going to close the front door for a week and keep you all in here all the time."

"You'll have to keep the fire brigade ready outside the gate then, Thea. No one will be able to bare your highness of Gloomy-land, Prince Oliver's broody face more than two days without burning the house down." Roy's unusually cheerful voice replied.

Felicity frowned at the joke. Roy was never a person to joke about Oliver even when he was not in the vicinity. This was strange.

"They have given him pain meds." Diggle said, understanding Felicity's confusion.

"If this any other time I'll be for all of this making fun of Oliver's broodiness, but now I hope dearly that Roy doesn't make Oliver snap. We need level headed Oliver now." Felicity said.

"Oliver will do everything in his power to bring William back, Felicity. He loves you two more than he loves himself." Diggle said.

Felicity's heart clenched at his words. Yes, she knew that. She felt that love inside her heart.

There was a time when she was reluctant to admit that Oliver loved her. But now she knew better.

He loves her. He had loved her back then too, but in his own way. He didn't know how to express it and he screwed it up.

Nevertheless he loved her.

And it was a huge relief to realize that her feelings were not one sided. Their story was different. They both had very bad timing. They started their story hating each other and then came close together. When they started working together, trusting each other, they had made their place in their hearts. Felicity was the first to fall in love or at least the first to realize that she was in love.

She had loved him fiercely. She trusted him. She trusted that he would choose her. But Oliver was not ready. When she said him that she loved him, Oliver rejected her. Not because he didn't love her, but because he didn't know it himself.

He was afraid of commitment. How could he be in a committed relationship? Oliver's life was an example for people not being faithful. His parents cheat on each other. He cheated on his first girl friend Laurel. Oliver was not ready for that kind of commitment.

And Felicity was hurt,

She still didn't know what made Oliver propose Isabel. But it was not out of love or respect for sure.

Then Felicity had left.

That's when Oliver realized that Felicity was someone who he cannot lose. But he was too late, in typical Oliver Queen fashion.

They both went through so much next four years and here they are together again.

Now the roles are reversed. Oliver wants to start a relationship and Felicity is afraid. She is afraid of hurting again. She knows for sure that she won't be able bounce back from another heart break.

Not now.

Not ever again.

But she still loved him.

Felicity couldn't lie to her own heart. Yes she was still in love with Oliver.

She fell deeper day by day, seeing him with William, feeling his love for the first time.

'When all of this is over, I'll give him another chance.' She vowed to herself.

The door to the room opened, breaking her chain of thoughts and Oliver entered.

"I talked to my contacts in Russia. Isabel has been to Russia several times past year and had met a woman in secret. They say that woman was American. But they don't know her or have any photos. Isabel had been very careful with the people she took their as her bodyguards." Oliver said.

"So it's a she." Felicity said.

"Any one from your past?" Diggle asked.

Oliver looked at Felicity. His eyes were pained.

"I don't know." His voice was barely audible.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Oliver knew Felicity by his heart. She was never a good liar. She couldn't lie to someone to save her life. That's why now Oliver was so surprised. When did she become such an accomplished actress? Oliver was amazed that she deceived his mother easily. Felicity looked directly into Queen Matriarch's eyes and lied to her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Oliver came out of his reverie with Felicity's big blue eyes staring at him.

"Hmmm…?" he blinked once and shook his head. Felicity tilted her head in her trademark questioning gaze.

"When did you become such a skillful liar, Felicity? I never knew you to be a person to delude people. You are a terrible liar. How did you deceive my mother?" he asked.

Felicity shrugged.

"Not a big thing. I just reminded myself that she is lying to all of us. She is keeping Tommy hidden and probably not caring for him. So she deserved it. And I would do anything for my family. Lying to your mom was a small feat considering that."

"I still can't believe that she bought your story about the notebook." Oliver stated.

"Is that judgment I'm hearing?" Felicity raised an eyebrow.

"Nope. Pride." Oliver replied with a smile.

It was a relief to both of them that Moira believed Felicity's story about Tommy leaving the notebook with her and she forgetting to return it to Moira. It seemed as if Moira was also relieved to have the book back.

Felicity's computer made a noise and Felicity rushed to the machine. Oliver followed her and sat on the chair beside the bed.

Her typing was too quick for him to process but he recognized from the look of her face that this was important. She was muttering to herself and typing at the same uninterrupted speed.

Oliver waited patiently for her to finish her thing and sent a quick message to Diggle to come upstairs. They hadn't left the room for a day now except when Felicity went to Moira's study to give her the notebook. Raisa and Thea brought food trays and Diggle came in time to time with latest news from Captain Lance and Lyla.

Roy was also residing in the mansion and Thea was busy tending him. Oliver was impatient but he knew there was nothing he could do until they get solid information on William's whereabouts.

"I think I found something." Felicity said suddenly.

"What?" Oliver got up from the seat and went to her.

There were several video feeds running on Felicity's screen.

"I was searching for a glitch in the video feed because there isn't any way for a van to disappear inside a tunnel. There should be and explanation to it. I thought that they may have cut the video feed after the van entered the tunnel and replaced it with another. But that was the obvious solution and it was unlikely. So what if they didn't alter the video, or what if they didn't alter the video there? What if they altered the video before the tunnel part?"

Felicity's trail was broken by a knock on the door and then Diggle appeared by the opened door. He gave Oliver a questioning look and Oliver signed him to sit in the couch. Felicity was full on her element and went on.

"As I was saying, what if they altered the video before the tunnel? I was looking for the part where the van didn't come out of the tunnel, but I couldn't find anything. It showed that it was the real video. So what if it really is? So I went back on the video and looked for any other thing I could search into. Then I found this."

She minimized the other videos and maximized the one where the black van carrying their child was on the road. She reduced the speed of the video and they watched it with thorough intensity. The van passed the camera and there was a slight glitch on the video. Oliver was sure that if it was him looking he wouldn't be able to recognize it, but this was Felicity. She stopped the video and replayed it emphasizing the glitch.

"What does this mean?" Oliver asked her.

"It means that they changed the video from here, until up to the tunnel part. That's why there was no video feed of the van exiting the tunnel."

"Because the van didn't really enter the tunnel." Oliver said.

Felicity nodded her head excitingly.

"Yep. I found a video feed from a month before where the same van entering the tunnel. They must have used that for this."

"But that means that they have planned this before months. At least one." Oliver was horrified. What kind of mess is this? How was this happening to him? He just got his life back. He just got his son in his life. How can there be this much carefully planned trap to take that all away from him?

"The good news is, I found the real video part after the glitch. They took William out of the city, to Central city specifically." Felicity said.

"Where? Can you get an exact location?" Oliver asked.

Felicity grimaced.

"That's the bad news. I couldn't track the van precisely in Central city. They don't have a well implemented camera system on their streets. That was one of the reasons I chose Central city as my escape residency. You can blend with the people really well there. I currently have six possible videos of black vans with same number. They ended up in six different locations."

"So, they used six vans?" Diggle asked.

"Yep. With the same number. Whoever planned this is really good at it. They have backup plans for back up plans." Felicity was worried to the end. Oliver could see that in the way she held herself. And she was really pissed that whoever planned this had made her doubt her own abilities.

"We'll check each and every path the vans took. At least now we have a lead." Oliver told her.

She nodded her head and Diggle came to them.

"I'll call Lyla and see what help we can get from her connections. May be we could ask for a rescue team from Captain Lance. Roy can be here and help Felicity with the comms. We will divide into six groups and search these locations one by one." Diggle said.

Oliver and Felicity both gave Diggle grateful smiles. Oliver knew that they would be broken if not for Diggle's constant reassurances and strong presence.

After Diggle left, Oliver tried to come up with a plan. They needed six teams. And he wanted to be all of them. Oliver wanted to save his boy. He was afraid that he wouldn't be there for William when he needs his father the most.

…

"Okay… There are Oliver and Diggle. And Malcom will be there too. Captain Lance with another five cops, Lyla with four of her agents. And I called Barry, so he, Eddie and Ronnie would also join you there. Detective West said he will be there too with five from his team. That's all 23 people." Felicity counted their team.

"Make it 24 Smoak. There's no way I'm staying here when my nephew is in hands of that bitch." The welcome voice turned all the heads in the living room.

Tommy entered the hall with a dramatic fare with Malcom and Captain Lance right behind him, and Oliver got up from the seat to welcome him back. But Felicity and Thea beat him to it and ran to Tommy.

"Tommy…."

"If I had known that my absence made you this much fond of me, I would have taken that route a long time ago, sis." Tommy told them with his trademark smirk.

"You scared us, Idiot. What happened? Who kidnapped you? How did you get released? Did they hurt you? Had they been caught?" Thea shot a chain of questions at Tommy.

"I don't know who kidnapped me. They continuously asked for a note book which I didn't have with me." Tommy gave a little knowing glance to Oliver.

"And they didn't hurt me much; just had me roped and threatened me. And I don't know how the police had got a tip and they raided the warehouse they kept me and rescued me." Tommy finished.

"We are so glad that you are back, Tommy." Moira went to him and hugged him.

Oliver couldn't believe his eyes. How could his mother be like this? She embraced Tommy as if she was really worried about his well being. She was even wiping tears from her cheeks. He caught Felicity's eyes and they showed that she was equally surprised and disgusted.

Then Oliver watched Malcom taking Moira's hands and consoling her. Did Malcom know about how evil his wife was? Did he have any idea that she was the one behind his son's kidnapping? After being married to the woman for more than two decades, did Malcom share whatever secrets she was keeping?

"Okay, we have divided all of you to 06 groups, with 04 people for each group." Felicity was getting impatient with all the teary drama.

Oliver didn't know much about Felicity's friends in Central city. He had just met Barry once and had heard Felicity mentioning others a few times. But he was very thankful that they had offered their help in this situation. It was heaven sent when Cisco came in and took the reins of the tech things from Felicity. Oliver knew that Felicity was anxious and was trying her best to keep it together. They both were keeping their sorrows and fears locked in their hearts until they get their hands on their son.

"Oliver, Diggle, Lyla, Captain Lance. Eddie and Detective West will lead the groups." Cisco supplied without even deterring his eyes from the chart he had formed on his tablet.

"But Oliver doesn't have the fighting skills or experience to lead such a mission." Captain Lance objected.

Oliver was exasperated. He could handle it very well. But most of the people in this room didn't know that. They didn't have any clue that they had a Bratva Captain in the room with them. And there was no way he could pull that card now.

"Oliver has had martial arts classes when he was in Russia. And I trained him a bit when I became his body guard. He can handle himself. It is important that William has his dad with him once we rescue him. He will be so scared." Diggle reasoned.

Oliver felt the pain in his chest renovating again when Diggle mentioned how much scared William will be. He didn't need to look at Felicity to know that she was feeling the same.

"I think the big man is correct. Oliver should be there." Cisco affirmed.

"Okay, its better if we can work with familiar people, so each Diggle and Lyla can get two of Lyla's agents in their team. Two of Captain Lance's cops can fill the other remaining seat."

At Cisco's words, Felicity quickly drew the group charts.

Oliver was amazed by how the people around them listened to her, how they flocked around her to lead. May be it's because the cops knew that she had helped SCPD for a long time in running operations. Or maybe it's because Diggle, Lyla and other friends knew how to work together with her for a long time. Or maybe it's because the ARGUS agents sensed the fighter inside her. Or it's because they all loved her and respected her at different levels and were so ready to get her child back to her.

"That makes three teams. We can make two Central city teams with Eddie, Ronnie, Detective west and their cops. So the final team will have Oliver, Tommy, Barry and Malcom." Cisco added.

"Dad, are you sure you can be involved in this mission? I mean you are a businessman not an assassin." Tommy turned to Malcom and asked. Oliver could detect real concern in his words even though he aimed it as a tease.

Malcom gave Tommy a serene look, just a hint of a grin around his lips.

"Even though I'm an old man, I'm sure that I can take care of myself in such a situation, son. After all, I managed to build a business kingdom without getting kidnapped once in all these years."

"Oooh… you killed my ego, dad." Tommy touched his heart and showed that he felt in his heart.

"I'll give you the directions to your locations. When one is cleared, that group can join the others. I and Cisco will handle the coordination." Felicity said.

Her face showed the determination of a mother to regain her child. Oliver was proud of her again. She was his strength all the way.

"So, when are we leaving for the central city?" One of the cops asked.

Felicity turned to Oliver. He knew that she wants them to leave right now. But they can't be reckless. They couldn't afford to have any mistake. This was their child's life.

"We'll leave at 6. We'll be there at 8 then. We can gather up in Detective West's house and start from there." Lyla said.

"Then I'll have some time to have a shower and grab something to eat." Tommy headed to his room.

"I'll ready you all a quick snack." Thea went towards the kitchen and Raisa followed her.

"We have an hour or so before you leave. Why don't you rest for a bit Oliver? Diggle and Lyla can rest in their room too. Others can have something to eat." Moira asked him and Oliver nodded to her. He went to Felicity and took her hand. She followed him to his room without saying anything.

…

When he stepped out from the closet Felicity was sitting on his bed. That was how she was when he went to the bathroom and exited after his shower too.

Her head was bent down and shoulders were fallen. He could see that her eyes were closed. There was a small backpack beside her on the bed.

He closed the closet door and she raised her head at the sound. When her eyes met his, Oliver understood what was going in her head. She was scared. She was scared of losing William. She was scared of losing him. She was scared of losing someone she loved tonight. She was scared of losing someone who stepped out today for her, for them.

Oliver knew this because he had the same fears.

He went to her and crouched at her legs. Her hands were on her lap, fingers twisting and she was slightly trembling. Oliver took her hands in his and their fingers tangled together.

"We'll get him back, Felicity. He will be here tomorrow. I promise you." He promised.

"You can't promise that." She said. Her voice broke at the end, releasing the tears kept behind her lashes.

Oliver squeezed her hands.

"I know. But I'm promising you nevertheless. Because I'm going to get our son back even if it is the last thing I do in my life."

Felicity clenched his hand tightly.

"You have to come back too. I want you here with me too. You have to come back to me Oliver. please…" she was crying.

"Felicity…" Oliver stood up and pulled her into his hold.

"You have to promise me Oliver… that you would come back too. I can't lose any of you. I always lose people I love. I can't go through that again. It's not fair." Felicity mumbled to his chest.

"I know Felicity. I know. I know it's not easy sweetheart." Oliver kissed her hair.

"My dad, my mom, you, then William… I feel like as if I'm cursed Oliver. I lose people I love. I can't go through that again… Please… I can't… not anymore… please…"Oliver tightened his hold of her.

"I'll come back home to you Felicity. I promise you. You'll never lose me again." He said.

"You died once Oliver. You died… I was lost. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to cope. I was dead inside. It was because of William I found my will to live again. Now he is gone and you are leaving to bring him back. What if you both didn't return? What if only one of you returned? What if we lose someone tonight? These people risk their lives for our son, for us. What if someone get hurt?" Felicity was sobbing in his arms, her fingers clutching his shirt in fists.

"They all came willingly Felicity. They know the risk and they are willing to put their lives in risk for William. Most of them love William just as we do, love. It's their choice. And can you imagine asking Diggle or Lyla or Barry to not be a part of this? Can you ask Tommy to sit behind? Or even Captain Lance or Detective West? You know that Roy would be there in the front if he was not injured badly. They love you and they love William. It's their right to fight for whom they love."

Felicity raised her head form his chest at that. Her blue eyes were red rimmed. Yet they were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

"It's my right to fight for you and William." Oliver whispered.

Felicity's hands clutched his arms and she stood on her toes, her eyes never wavering from his gaze. Oliver watched her breath hitching and her lips coming near to his. They stayed sharing the same breath for a second and he knew she was waiting for him. Oliver bent his head and closed the gap.

He felt the familiar warmth flooding his insides. Her lips were soft and salty, soaked by her tears. Oliver ran his fingers through her hair, bent her head a little bit and deepened the kiss. Felicity reacted by giving a soft moan and opening her lips for him. Oliver needed this, yet it was this moment he realized how much he missed this. This was their first kiss after more than five years of separation and Oliver didn't know how he survived without this, this much longer.

He was finally home.

They separated after a moment and they both were panting. Felicity was flushed and her cheeks were deep red. Her blush ran down from her neck and Oliver knew exactly how much down.

Her eyes were twinkling with unshed tears and her lips curved up. Oliver banded his arms around her waist and Felicity's arms circled around his torso. They were standing there gazing each other and sharing the strength of each other.

"Felicity…"

"I love you…"

They spoke at the same time and Oliver was stunned by her words.

"You… love me?" He asked, fearing he has heard wrong.

"Yes, Oliver… I know this is not the right time. I wanted to tell you for some time. But I was scared of risking my heart again and getting humiliated again. But I want you to know that I love you. I'm in love with you. Has been for forever. I never fell out of love with you. I just figured out that there will never be a right moment. I have to reach for it. If you can fight for me and William, I can fight for us too. We will fight for us. We'll get Will back and we'll get our family back."

Felicity said determination in fire in her eyes.

Oliver felt a heavy burden lifting off from his chest. She loved him. She was in love with him again. He was not lost totally.

"We'll get our son back, Felicity and I'll come back to you. We'll be a family. I promise you." He promised her again. This time sealing the promise with a kiss to her head.

….

They were leaving. Oliver put his backpack in his SUV and Felicity was lingering at the door fussing with Tommy's backpack. Moira held Malcom's hand and they were talking with Captain Lance. Diggle and Lyla were listening to Cisco who as going through the operation plan again.

Thea came to Oliver and hugged him.

"Be careful, Ollie. And bring Will back home." She said.

"I'll try my best, Speedy." Oliver replied.

Roy came to them and stood beside Thea.

"I wish I could join you. I feel like shit sitting back home when you all go on the rescue mission." He said.

Oliver shook his head.

"You did your part, Roy. You risked your life for my son and got injured. I would never forget that. But right now I want you to stay here and take care of them. I'm leaving my family with you. I trust you with my life." He said.

"You don't worry, dear brother. We will be safe. You just take care of yourself and Tommy. And we'll protect your girl too." Thea said obviously having observed Oliver's gaze at Felicity.

Oliver remembered the way Felicity felt in his arms and he ached to hold her again.

As if on cue, she looked at him and walked towards them with Tommy.

Tommy hugged Thea and gave a pat to Roy's back. Felicity walked to Oliver and touched his forearm.

"Be safe. And come home to me." She said.

"I will." Oliver replied and pulled her into him. She came willingly and closed her eyes taking a deep breath when he kissed her forehead. They stayed like that for a moment and Oliver registered her soft baby soap smell into his memory.

When they separated, the whole area was silent. Oliver looked around and saw Tommy, Thea and Roy staring at them with astonishment written on their faces. Diggle smirked at them and Lyla gave them a smile. Moira and Malcom gave them approving looks and Captain Lance was frowning.

"Thank god, that happened at last…" Tommy shouted and Thea gave a squeal.

"I knew this would happen… I knew it." She said to Roy.

Diggle walked to them and turned to Roy.

"I think you owe me 50 bucks Harper." He said with the trademark smirk of his.

"Did you guys bet on us…?" Felicity asked incredulously.

"Of course, we had a pool going around. I think I'm a bit more ritcher now, than I was a minute before." Tommy preened.

"This is a bet I liked losing." Thea said.

Oliver tugged Felicity into his side and went to the SUV. It's always better to leave them to settle down their bets.

After all of them got into the vehicles, Diggle started their SUV. As they got distanced from the Mansion Oliver watched Felicity wiping her cheeks and turning to the family waiting for her.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

"You know, I knew this would happen one day."

Thea told Felicity while helping her attach the computers Moira had supplied them from QCs IT section. Moira told them that they are all available for Felicity's use if it meant that William will be back home safely. Felicity had already brought her most powerful computers to the mansion. They had three more hours to wait until Oliver and the rescue groups start their mission. So, Thea and Felicity was setting the communication station at Queen Mansion, while Cisco and Roy went to bring Caitlin and Iris from the train station. They were coming here to help them. Felicity was so grateful for their support.

Thea had volunteered to help Felicity and Felicity knew that Thea was waiting for a chance to talk to her alone.

"What?" Felicity asked from Thea from under the table where she was setting the cables.

"That, you and Ollie will get together." Thea replied.

"Since when?" Felicity asked back this time coming up from the table.

"Since you worked with Ollie as his EA. He was smitten by you even then." Thea replied.

Felicity furrowed her eyebrows.

"I don't think so. He was dating Mackena those days." She said.

Thea gave her a smirk.

"And why do you think they broke up?" Thea asked from the blonde.

"Because Oliver got bored?" Felicity suggested. At Thea's incredulous look, she amended.

"Or… because he still loved Laurel?" Thea rolled her eyes back and sighed.

"What?" Felicity asked from the brunette who was irritatingly persistent.

"Oh, you are so stupid for a girl with a 180 IQ sometimes, Felicity." Thea exclaimed.

"It's 176." Felicity corrected her.

"Whatever… I mean how couldn't you see it? We all saw what happened. Even Mackena. That's why she ended things with Oliver."

"What do you mean?" Felicity asked her friend, this time stopping what she was doing and turning her attention fully to her.

"Ollie was in love with you for a long time, Lizz. And you were with him too. He had eyes only for you."

"But he got back with Laurel just after that." Felicity disagreed.

"Because you went out with that Palmer guy to the annual Queen's Gala. Ollie was so pissed that night and he came home drunk. Then next day he called Laurel and took her to dinner. When he finally realized that you had no feelings for Palmer and you two were not taking things far, he stopped seeing Laurel and broke up with her." Thea explained.

"Oh…" Felicity processed what she heard.

"Yeah, Oh…" Thea remarked with a grin.

"You know, I'm still having trouble processing all these things. Yes, I was in love with Oliver since forever and he didn't love me back. I knew that and I had accepted the fact. I fell for him and he rejected me, brutally. That was how I knew it. But now, all of you tell me that what I knew was wrong. You, Tommy, John and even Oliver himself told me that he had been in love with me since those days. I don't get it. If he was in love with me, how could he hurt me like that?" Felicity's voice didn't hide the pain from remembering their past.

"We all saw it, Lizz. But it took us sometime to recognize it for what it was. Ollie lived with us only for a few days in a year for a long time. Then he came back to live with us and we didn't know how to connect with him. I mean, it was new to us. And he never showed his feelings to anyone. When he came that time, he was completely different from the brother we knew from before. He was silent, but reckless. It was a dangerous combination." Thea said.

Felicity nodded her head in agreement. She clearly remembered those first days. Oliver was a total tool. He insulted her. He tried to irritate Malcom. He always argued with Moira. He ignored Thea and spent his nights at clubs and bars. Tommy had to go from club to club to find his whereabouts.

"Then he joined QC and you went to work with him. Day by day I saw you two arguing and fighting. Then it reduced and you two started defending each other. Even when you were with us you two were different, as if you were sharing a secret that we were excluded from. Ollie dated Mackena, and then Laurel again. Then he broke up with her and stopped going out with other girls. We were so used to seeing you two at galas and other parties we didn't realize that Ollie had stopped taking any other woman in his arm. Ollie was working hard in the company until late nights with you, and we didn't notice that he had stopped going to clubs. That was until you two separated. Lizz, even to this date I really don't know what happened between you two, and I don't even want to know. But we noticed that something had happened because suddenly the old Oliver was back. He was rude and insensitive, just like he was before you."

Thea continued. Felicity thought back about what happened those days. No, nope, she didn't want to go back to those days. She was so hurt by Oliver's rejection that she resigned from QC and started working with Tommy at MG. Oliver paraded his arm candies in every party or gala they attended and even brought those vultures to their home at night. She remembered one night particularly when she came home late from work and met Oliver and one of his leggy model at the top of the staircase. Oliver had smirked at her and taken that model to his room. Felicity had stared at the door which he closed to her face. Ohh… There was a reason that she still refused to go to Oliver's room. To her, that room was equal to a torture room.

"We really understood what happened when you left Starling." Thea's voice broke Felicity's inner ramble.

"Hmmm?" She raised her eyebrow at her friend.

"Ollie was furious… at all of us… First he completely destroyed his room in rage. Then he spent two days in a totally drunken stage. Next, he fired Carrie Cutter, who was his secretary and fling those days. Then he stopped coming home and started spending his time at the penthouse. I was so angry at him for making you leave, I didn't care that he wasn't home anymore. But after a few weeks, I realized that he was suffering. Ollie was hurting, badly… and he was retaliating it by closing up. He was punishing himself and us for letting you go… And then, he went on that wretched ship and went lost…

Thea sighed with the last words.

Then she continued. Felicity listened to her patiently.

"After that… I had a lot of time to think about what happened. And I fell for Roy. That's when I completely understood Ollie's behavior. It's like a family thing. I too had hurt Roy, first by not opening to him and insulting him. I was trying to fight the attraction, the feelings I had for him. Then when I realized that he was not giving up and staying by me, I opened up to him. I know I'm my best self when I'm with him. Just like Ollie was with you. But then Ollie was lost and I went down emotionally. I tried to make him go away. Just like Ollie did to you. But luckily for me, Roy never left. He stood by my side and helped me get back to my former self. I'm not blaming you for leaving. Because I know I can't compare our situations. I just want to tell you that I know Ollie was in love with you because I too did all of that out of my love to Roy. It's complicated but also simple as that."

"Love is irrational…" Felicity stated.

"Yeah… something like that…" Thea agreed.

Some things were cleared in Felicity's mind with Thea's explanation. It was like seeing another side of the same story. She knew that she had completely forgiven Oliver for what he did. But the pain and hurt was still real and still there.

"Felicity… Your friends have arrived." Moira came to them and handed them steaming cocoa cups with information.

"Thanks Moira. I'll take them to the guest room." Felicity started for the living room.

"I'll help Roy to move to the communication room and then set chairs for you and Cisco at the computers." Thea said.

…

"Captain Lance, can you hear me?" Felicity talked to her com.

They had set everything up and were testing the communication devices. They agreed to take three groups each and Felicity was handling Captain Lance's, Diggle's and Lyla's groups while Cisco was handling Detective West's, Eddie's and Oliver's groups.

She heard Cisco asking the same thing form Oliver in the other side and was relieved to see Cisco's thumbs up at her with Oliver's answer. Captain Lance replied to her that he was clear.

Felicity repeated the procedure with Diggle and Lyla too and received their replies. Cisco gave his nods for the other two groups too. They were all ready for the mission.

To bring their child home.

They divided the suspected locations into two clusters and Felicity's groups took the northern locations while Cisco's groups took the southern ones. Felicity and Cisco were busy locating the nearby cameras and satellite images to get clear views of the locations and the groups drifted closer to their targets.

In the communication room, Thea was holding Roy's hand and sitting near Felicity, watching the videos and the way Felicity and Cisco guided the groups.

Moira was with Iris in the library of the mansion, making plans of handling the media at this stage. It was a relief that Iris had experience on that particular subject.

Caitlin was keeping an eye on Raisa, who was injured at the kidnapping and making the medical supplies and equipment ready if anyone needed them after the mission.

"Lyla, your location has two guards at the front entrance and two more at the back. But I can't get any IR detections in the warehouse. I t suggests that there is no one inside." Felicity pulled up the IR radiation map of the area and informed the ARGUS agent.

"Copy that. We think that it's better to check it ourselves, Lizz. We'll engage it from the back and cover the area. If it outed to be a decoy we can move to the next location." Lyla replied through the comm.

"Got it. Go ahead then." Felicity said.

They had no way to see the happenings after the team entered the warehouse. Felicity held her earpiece tighter and listened to the noises coming through it. There were sounds of grunts and a gun shot. Felicity prayed to the god that it was not shot at any of their ones.

"Lyla…" Felicity called her group captain after a few minutes of silence.

There was a sound of a door opening, or rather breaking and then came Lyla's voice.

"We are okay, Lizz. And the place is covered. No sign of the boy."

Felicity felt relief and anxiousness both at the same time. She was relieved that no one was hurt but she knew that it meant that they are another step away from finding William. And there was a chance that Isabel get to know about this attack.

"We have to be quick with the next step. Isabel will get to know about this soon." Felicity said to the open line and got the approval from both Lance and Diggle.

"One location is down with our set too." Cisco said from her side.

"Two down, four more to go…" Thea sighed.

"We are near our location. Felicity, give me the details." Captain Lance told her. This was very similar how she had helped the police officer with their Bratva Raids. Felicity checked the footages and supplied the details about the guarding team. It took a bit more time for Captain Lance's team to neutralize the situation and to clear the area. They too informed her that William wasn't being held there.

Another group of Cisco's had cleared their location and had come up with the same result.

There were only two more places to go and Felicity felt her heart beating erratically. What if William wasn't in both places? This was their only lead. What would they do if they couldn't find him there? And what if he was kept at one of those places? Or somewhere else? She was the one who lead the rescue teams to the locations. What if she was wrong? What is she doing, handling a rescue mission?

"Lizz…" She came out of her terrifying thought at Thea's voice. She turned her head and saw Thea's understanding look.

"Hey… We'll find him. If he is not there, we'll turn every stone and fins him. You have to be strong and guide the groups. I know you can do it. Ollie and others trust you to do it. They have faith on you and so do I." Thea squeezed her shoulder and told her.

Felicity nodded her head and took a long breath.

"Felicity, I think we found the location. I can see one of Isabel's bodyguards in front of this warehouse. There is a bit hustle near the entrance too." Diggle said through the comms.

"I have no images on that warehouse, Digg. I'm blind here." Felicity replied. She was typing frantically trying to find a way to see the location but was unsuccessful. If this was where they kept William, Isabel had chosen well.

"Oliver's group is near their target. But he asks if he should retreat and come to Diggle's support." Cisco informed her.

Felicity couldn't decide what to do. What if this came out to be a decoy too? What if the location Oliver was, the actual target? What if he left there and they miss the chance to save Will? And what if William is at Diggle's location and Diggle needs help and no one was there?

"Felicity, talk to me…" Cisco had connected Oliver's line to Felicity and she heard his soft voice in her ear. She quickly gave him the details and Diggle's location.

"What do you think?" He asked her.

"I don't know Oliver. I'm scared." She whispered to the comm.

There was a few seconds of silence and then Oliver spoke.

"I'm taking my team to Diggle's location. Detective West and Eddie are 10 minutes away from us. They can cover my target until I give them a signal."

"Copy that." She heard both group leaders' replies.

Still she didn't say anything.

"Felicity…" Oliver spoke again.

"Yeah…" She supplied.

"I'm bringing him home." Oliver said her.

"I believe in you…" She replied.

…

Next hour was the hardest one in Felicity's life. And she had gone through several terrible incidents.

She held into her earpiece and listened to the fight. Diggle's group engaged the attack from back and they were outnumbered by Isabel's goons by three folds.

Lyla's team managed to bring cavalry and they helped Diggle's team to clear the back entrance and enter the warehouse which was by any means not abandoned.

They cleared the compartmentalized building one part by one and found a staircase to an underground layer. Felicity listened to the sounds of doors opening and walls breaking, Gun shots and fighting shouts, grunts and moans, and cuss words in both English and Russian.

The two groups were fighting with another Russian goons' attack when Oliver's team arrived there. Oliver entered through the door easily and went past the fighting groups. Then he entered the underground room.

"You impressed me…" Felicity felt a cold seeping through her spine at that icy voice she heard through Oliver's line.

"Isabel…" Oliver growled at the evil woman.

"Though, I knew you were capable of defeating my team, I thought that it would take more time for you to find the location." Isabel's words were bold as much as they held her cold icy self.

"Where is my son?" Oliver asked her. Felicity could literally hear him biting his teeth.

"Your son? I thought William was Ms. Smoak's son, Oliver. You didn't have any children with her, did you?" Isabel mused.

"I don't share your likings to drama, Isabel. Where is my son?" Oliver asked again.

"Why so urgent Oliver? I know that William is your son. Even though your father tried his best to hide the child and protect your legacy. I found him. I must give some credits to Ms. Smoak though. It was a very smart move. I didn't think to check her whereabouts for your child. But I found my mistake when certain Ms. Lance came to me and handed me over the news of the child."

Felicity could imagine Isabel's feline smile by her voice. She was enjoying this.

Diggle informed her that they had restrained all of Isabel's goons and now heading to the other rooms of the underground complex. She gave them the 'go' and was relieved to know that Oliver's team, Barry, Tommy and Malcom was at the door of the room where Isabel and Oliver were, ready to attack at the slightest sign of a need.

"I found it very amusing, Queen. One of your ex, raising your child, who was born to another one of your flings, and another ex-girlfriend giving that child into the hands of your enemy, which happens to be your ex-fiancé. It's good material to a soap opera." Isabel continued.

"Not more interesting than your story, Isabel. Trying to take control of a billion dollar business by marrying a man who detested you and that man going missing just a few days short of the wedding and also after publicly rejecting you. And thinking that even after that you'll get the company and again being disappointed because of a child. Then trying to destroy them again and again to being failed repeatedly. Finally having reduced to kidnap a child to take revenge. Your story is pathetic." Oliver countered.

"We found William…" Lyla's voice rang in Felicity's ear and she felt Oliver taking a deep breath at that revelation. A soft sob left her mouth and she turned to Thea and nodded her head at her, Thea understood the unspoken words and hugged Roy and Cisco in her joy. Felicity felt tears spilling out of her eyes and didn't care a bit. Her son was safe now. All they had to do now was capture Isabel and hand her over to the Police.

"You are defeated, Isabel. What do you think will happen when I informed about this to Anatoly?" Oliver growled at Isabel and Felicity was happy that Cisco had left his chair to share the news of William's rescue with Moira and Caitlin. Only Diggle's and Lyla's lines were connected to Oliver'[s and they both knew about Oliver's connection with Bratva.

"You won't dare." Isabel seethed.

"Oh, I would dare Isabel. I would go to Russia myself and make sure that you or your father doesn't make it alive there." Oliver said.

"They don't respect you anymore, Queen. You were forgiven just because you saved Anatoly's life. Otherwise you would be dead right now." Isabel said.

"I'm sure that they still remember me for what I can do, Isabel. I didn't get to be a Captain just because my father was a one. I had proved myself and they know it. I have a deal with them. I don't interfere with them until they don't interfere with mine. But your actions have broken that deal and if Bratva tried to save you, they will have me no more bound to the deal. They know that clearly. Do you think that Bratva will risk their business for you? Seriously?" Oliver asked her.

"You…" Isabel cursed at him and suddenly Felicity heard gun shots.

She listened to the calls shoted by Tommy and Malcom. They had entered the room and there were sounds of gun shots and glass breaking.

"Oliver…" Felicity shouted to her comm when the gun fire stopped.

"I'm okay. Everyone is okay…. Except Isabel and one of her gun men." Oliver replied her.

"What happened?" She asked him.

"Two of her gun men entered the room from behind and started shooting. We shot back and one of Malcom's shot hit Isabel in the chest and she is dead." Oliver replied.

"Oh…" Felicity sighed.

"Tommy, are you hurt?" She heard Barry asking Tommy.

"Tommy?" She called him.

"I'm okay. It's just a graze." Tommy returned.

"But,"

"Felicity, it is not serious. We'll have the wound cleaned and bound. Caitlin can treat it." Barry told her.

"Ummm… Oliver, we have a problem here." Felicity heard Diggle saying.

"What…?" Oliver asked him and she could hear him rushing to Diggle's side.

"Oh…" She heard Oliver saying.

"Oliver… What?" She asked him.

"Felicity, William is okay… I have him in my arms now. He is a bit shocked but will be okay. Lyla, Diggle and others will handle the situation here. I'll be there with William and Tommy as soon as possible." Oliver told her.

"Okay."

"But, what about her?" She heard Diggle asking Oliver.

"She too." Oliver replied.

"Oliver…" Felicity was confused. What were they talking about?

"We have a little problem, Felicity. But don't worry. We'll talk when we get home." Oliver told her and disengaged his line. Diggle's line went off along with that too.

…

Felicity didn't know how many times she went to the entrance of the Queen Mansion and only to find the road empty and turned back. She was anxious. She was happy that everything went well but couldn't put off the thought that something was not well. What happened that made Oliver not tell her it by the line but opted to talk to her directly?

Moira had sent the Queen's jet to Central city to get Oliver and the group as soon as possible and Diggle had informed them that they landed safely.

When she heard the vehicle entering the gate, Felicity ran to the outside. Thea and Moira closely following her.

The SUV stopped and Oliver got out of it first, holding William in his arms.

Oh my god…!

Her son… her baby… was in Oliver's safe hands.

She ran to them and when William saw her he wriggled out of Oliver's hold and sprinted towards her.

"Mommy…" He called her and jumped into her embrace.

"Oh, William… My baby…" Felicity held her child tightly to her chest and ran her hands over his body, checking for any injury or wound.

"I was scared Mommy…" William said to her chest.

"You are safe now, baby… Daddy and I will never let anything happen to you. We will always come for you, Will." Felicity told her son.

Oliver came to the crying mother and child and they walked into his arms.

"Hey…" Oliver greeted Felicity with a kiss to her hairline and banded his arms around her waist, William in the middle of their circle.

"Thank you for bringing him to me." Felicity told him, looking into his eyes.

"I promised you that I would. There was no choice to make. I'll never break my promises to you." Oliver replied her, wiping her tears.

"How is Tommy?" Felicity broke out of the embrace and saw Moira and Thea checking on him.

"I'm fine, mom… It's just a flesh wound…" Tommy tried to get out of their flustering but failed.

"Tommy…" Felicity went to him and hugged him.

"I'm okay. Lizz… And look. We brought Will home." Tommy told her.

"I'm taking you to Caitlin. She will check you wound and if she clears you as fine, I'll be okay with it." Thea told them and took Tommy's hand.

"This was not the way I wanted to meet Felicity's doctor friend in Central City." Tommy winked at Felicity.

"Ummm… Felicity… There was another person held up by Isabel there." Oliver told her and Felicity turned to him.

"Who?" She asked him.

Oliver went to the vehicle and e helped a woman to get out of it. Felicity watched the slender brunette holding Oliver's arm and taking slow steps. Felicity had never seen the woman before. She watched the woman leaning on Oliver and walking to the entrance where Felicity was standing with William in her arms.

"Felicity… This is Sandra… Sandra Hawke…" Oliver introduced the brunette, who was looking at her with an innocent look on her face.


End file.
